Producer | Jean-Baptiste Souillard |
Country | France |
Region | Rhone Valley |
Varietal | Viognier |
Vintage | 2022 |
Sku | 39220 |
Size | 750ml |
Jean-Baptiste Souillard is a winemaker from the Northern Rhone region in France, known for his meticulous approach to viticulture and vinification. His Roussanne vineyard, located in the southern part of the Ardèche, is planted on a steep east-facing slope with granite and sandstone soils at an elevation of 380-450 meters. Souillard practices "lutte raisonnée," a sustainable approach to viticulture that minimizes chemical use.
From a small 0.4-hectare plot at 380-420 meters elevation in the Southern Ardèche, this Viognier grows in granite and schist soils with an eastern aspect. Made with minimal intervention (lutte raisonnée), the wine is directly pressed, fermented with indigenous yeasts, and aged for 12 months in older oak barrels. Jean-Baptiste crafts this Viognier in a refined, food-friendly style that eschews the variety's typical richness and overt apricot notes, instead offering delicate floral aromatics with heirloom rose notes, a focused mid-palate showing altitude-driven freshness, and distinctive granite-derived salinity and umami character. The wine demonstrates impressive restraint while maintaining varietal complexity.