"François Villard, trained as a chef but passionate about wine, began acquiring his first plots in the spring of 1989 in the commune of Saint-Michel (lieu-dit Poncins) within the Condrieu appellation. Prior to this, he trained in sommellerie in Tain l’Hermitage and obtained a “viti-œno” certificate in Mâcon. An internship with Yves Cuilleron allowed him to expand Domaine François Villard to 8 hectares in 1990 and then to 12 hectares in 2005. The first 400 bottles were released in the fall of 1992. His purchase of vineyards in Saint-Péray in 2006, along with his grape trading, enabled him to produce the Vins de Vienne.
 
 
The Villard estate is expertly managed. As a self-taught winemaker, François Villard favors concentrated and late harvests, aiming not for overripe grapes but for perfect maturity. He seeks to move further toward organic practices, though working the soil is sometimes difficult due to the very steep terraces. The Villard estate has therefore adopted alternative approaches where possible: treatments and herbicides are avoided except on certain parcels that require special attention.
 
 
This wine was vinified under wood and aged for approximately 13 months to fully express the typicity of its terroir."

Appellation Saint-Joseph Contrôlée