Jean-Baptiste Souillard Viognier 2021
£25.60

Jean-Baptiste Souillard

Jean-Baptiste Souillard Viognier 2021

Country: France
Region: Rhône
Grape: Viognier
Colour: White
Bottle Size: 75cl
Alcohol: 13.5%
Vintage: 2021

PRODUCER NOTES

A rising star of the Northern Rhône, Jean-Baptiste returned to St Joseph after working in New Zealand, Australia, California, Bordeaux and Burgundy.  He has sought out small high altitude parcels that express balance and elegance. Quantities of each cuvée are often tiny as Jean Baptiste seeks to focus on single parcel expressions.  Vinification is simple, lots of air on the whites no sulphur during fermentation producing very classic flavours.  Very much vin de garde rather than vin de soif, Jean-Baptiste is forging his own path.

Jean-Baptiste seeks freshness in his wines, so has sought out vines mainly on the top of slopes as well as being planted on granite.  All his vineyards are listed as ‘lute raisonnée’.

His Vins de France whites are partially crushed, his ‘village’ or ‘cru’ whites are lightly crushed.  He uses small vertical presses to extract some tannin and bitterness for his whites to give them support and ageability—”la voie de amers” (the bitter road).  He likes to ‘explode’ the whites with air, allowing for the use of no sulphur in the beginning by oxidizing the wines early.  Classic élevage, old school principles.

FARMING & WINEMAKING NOTES

Jean-Baptiste seeks freshness in his wines, so has sought out vines mainly on the top of slopes as well as being planted on granite.  All his vineyards are listed as ‘lute raisonnée’.

His Vins de France whites are partially crushed, his ‘village’ or ‘cru’ whites are lightly crushed.  He uses small vertical presses to extract some tannin and bitterness for his whites to give them support and ageability—”la voie de amers” (the bitter road).  He likes to ‘explode’ the whites with air, allowing for the use of no sulphur in the beginning by oxidizing the wines early.  Classic élevage, old school principles.