Francois Villard

François Villard trained as a chef, before becoming a sommelier. It was after tasting a Condrieu in 1987 that he became inspired to make his own wine and he planted his first vines in 1989. He now owns 26 hectares of vines and makes a variety of wines from Côte-Rôtie, Condrieu, St. Joseph and St. Peray, including many single vineyard bottlings. His Condrieus are among the finest in the appellation, fermented and aged in temperature controlled new oak barrels, often from very ripe, lightly botrytised fruit. Le Grand Vallon is a single vineyard sight in the commune of St. Pierre de Boeuf and is simultaneously hugely powerful yet fine and elegant.