{"product_id":"yves-cuilleron-syrah-viognier-signe-2025","title":"Yves Cuilleron, Syrah Viognier \"Signé\" 2025","description":"\u003cp\u003eSpectacular red that is made in the mould of one of the most-celebrated wines in the Rhone Valley. This is clean as a whistle, yet smooth, round and full of dark fruit flavour, with notes of peach and apricot, all tied together with a lick of oak.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhether this is a \u003cem\u003ecopy\u003c\/em\u003e of the region's famed Côte Rotie or a simply reflection of the vines that he has to play with (it doesn't matter which) this is a tremendous and delicious red that blends 85% Syrah with 15% Viognier. Cuilleron blends the two even further into the \u003cem\u003ename\u003c\/em\u003e of the wine as well: it's not a special vineyard name, it's an elision of words Syrah and Viognier, \"Si-gné\"!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhy do they use both red \u003cem\u003eand\u003c\/em\u003e white grapes?\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDoes it turn into rosé?\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWell, it's a tradition from Côte Rotie, which is one of the finest of all French appellations, and the result is consistently amazing wines. But why?!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWell, it's to do with \u003cstrong\u003ephenolics\u003c\/strong\u003e in the skins of the grapes. These are the biological components that give \u003cspan style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"\u003ecolour\u003c\/span\u003e and \u003cspan style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"\u003eflavour\u003c\/span\u003e to wine. In this case, the Syrah being dark and red, while the Viognier has components that actually \u003cem\u003elatch on\u003c\/em\u003e to the Syrah antho-cyanins (dark colour compounds) that leech \u003cem\u003emore\u003c\/em\u003e colour out of the Syrah during the fermentation process, making it a \u003cem\u003edarker\u003c\/em\u003e wine. It's pretty cool! The other visual impact of the Viognier is that it makes wines using this recipe appear to be glossier - they look shinier, smoother and have a brighter lustre about them. It's a genuine magic formula.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFlavour-wise there is a lovely combination as well - you find all the dark fruit and plum character of Syrah but these are, in a sense, \u003cem\u003elifted\u003c\/em\u003e by the peachy apricot of the Viognier. The wines tend to be more aromatic and perfumed - seriously, this is a truly divine wine.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYves Cuilleron is a champion wine-maker of the Rhone and produces some of the most exclusive wines in the region. He knows exactly what each plot is able to yield in terms of quality, style and character and in that regard is a master of all of the vines he tends. This wine is made from the best selection of vines on the hills next to the most famed sites in the Rhone, and they are a selection found only on shallow, granitic soils in the Chavanay sub-zone. This base provides a superb platform for the grapes to ripen with minimal intervention from the vineyard team, who, in truth, only fertilise when necessary with organic fertilisers and don't even spray with insecticides. The result is this wonderfully complex, rich and pure blend of the two chief protagonist grape varieties in the Northern Rhone. It is wine that is fermented in open-top vats, followed by a maceration of 2 weeks or so. It is aged in barriques for 8 months, providing the wine with structure, elegance, character and a lick of oak. Another very, very special wine.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYes, just a note; this \u003cstrong\u003eis\u003c\/strong\u003e now the \u003cstrong\u003e2024\u003c\/strong\u003e vintage, which you might \u003cem\u003ethink\u003c\/em\u003e is very youthful (to say the least). Well, it is; but these days that doesn't have such negative connotations as it used to. I'd always ask myself if it is ready for drinking; in other words, is there any aspect of the wine that isn't quite right, or that will be ironed-out, or better in a year or so. The answer here, because of the skill of the winemaker, is no! It's perfectly ready to drink and there is nothing I'd want change now. It will develop and change subtly in time, but it won't get any better, nor any worse.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDavid Duclaux, Co-President of AOC Côte-Rôtie, declares that “2024 is a very good vintage but it required a lot of work and challenged us a lot. We have received more than 800 millimetres of rain since April, a record. We have been mowing, hedging, going through the vineyards with the brush cutter and the pickaxe. The three weeks of sunshine in August and a very cold north wind at the beginning of September generated concentration, fruit and colour leading to a very beautiful vintage, harvested mid-September, with balances reminiscent of wines from the early 2000s. All the winegrowers are delighted with the quality.\"\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWant to drink Côte Rotie but haven't got the adventurous spirit just right now? Don't worry - this is for you!\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Le Caveau","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":54494503829838,"sku":"CUILLSIGNE25","price":29.99,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0512\/4082\/9106\/products\/BottleShotLibrary_8.png?v=1657136199","url":"https:\/\/www.theallotment.ie\/products\/yves-cuilleron-syrah-viognier-signe-2025","provider":"The Allotment Wine Company","version":"1.0","type":"link"}