"François Villard, a trained chef but passionate about wine, began to acquire his first land in the spring of 1989, in the town of Saint Michel (a place called Poncins) in the Condrieu appellation. Beforehand, he trained in sommelier making in Tain l'Hermitage and obtained a “viti-oeno" patent in Mâcon. His internship with Yves Cuilleron allowed him to expand the Domaine François Villard to 8 hectares in 1990 then 12 in 2005. These first 400 bottles are on sale in the fall 1992. His purchase of vines in Saint-Péray in 2006 as well as his grape trading allowed him to produce Vienne wines.
  
Domaine Villard is managed with a masterful hand, as an autodidact François Villard likes concentrated and late harvests, to seek not over-ripeness but perfect maturity. Francois Villard wants to move more towards organic but working the soil sometimes makes it difficult since it involves terraces that are very difficult to plow. Domaine Villard therefore tried another approach and to do things differently wherever possible, thus treatments and weedkillers are eliminated except on certain plots which require particular effort.
  
Harvest : 85% whole bunches.
  
Aging : 14 months in barrels 3 to 6 years old.
  
Superbly balanced blend of black fruits and spices.
  
On the palate, we find suppleness, tannic structure and just the right acidity.
  
With its aromas of sweet pepper in the mid-palate, this cuvée well deserves its name."