Behind the Label: Les Vins de Vienne

Les Vins de Vienne

By Alex Allardyce

The story of Les Vins de Vienne began over two millennia ago. As the Roman Empire stretched north to Gaul (what is now modern-day France), the conquering Romans brought many things with them—including winemaking. Thus the slopes of Seyssuel, a city in the current day commune of Vienne just north of Côte Rôtie, became populated with Syrah vines and quickly became prized land by the Romans. Pliny the Elder, a naturalist-philosopher, equivalent to the modern-day Jancis Robinson, wrote that, in Vienne, “a certain kind of grape grows, of which the wine is highly esteemed.” With that, Seyssuel became known as the birthplace of Syrah.

Even after the fall of the Roman Empire, the wines of Seyssuel continued to gain prominence throughout the Middle Ages. Unfortunately this tale follows the story arc of many other European wine regions, ending with the decimation of vineyards by the relentless and destructive phylloxera louse in the 19th century. While most of the Northern Rhône was eventually replanted, the vines of Seyssuel were abandoned, and the land and its former glory, forgotten.

Fast forward 100 years and the story becomes a tale of friendship. In 1987, Yves Cuilleron began his winemaking career in the Rhône Valley. In 1988 he was joined by his intern Francois Villard, and the two struck up an immediate friendship, bonding over the vine and European football—what else? A few years later, Yves sent Francois to intern under Pierre Gaillard, a respected vigneron in the area, and the duo became a trio.

One fateful day in 1995, the trio happen to be discussing this long lost land of Seyssuel. Pierre recalled having read an original edition of Théâtre d’Agriculture et mesnage des champs, a 17th century textbook on French agriculture by Olivier de Serres, where he compared the vines of Seyssuel to those of the esteemed Côte-Rôtie. They posed the question to each other: what if we replanted Seyssuel? And so, Les Vins de Vienne was born.

They started off small, with only four hectares of vines, to retain their sense of identity as winemakers. The first red made from 100% Syrah, Sotanum, was produced

in 1998; the first white made from 100% Viognier, Taburnum, in 2000; and Heluicum, another 100% Syrah, in 2004. The land lived up to its reputation. They were wines of power, elegance, and precision, reminiscent of their ancient past.

Since then, Les Vins de Vienne have produced wine all over the Northern Rhône, including the highly regarded appellation wines of Condrieu, Côte-Rôtie and Hermitage. However, their three original wines from Seyssuel have remained the flagship wines of Les Vins de Vienne range. As the reputation of their wines grew, so did the demand, and therefore the size of the facilities. But the trio has never forgotten where it all started, with 4 acres of vines on the ancient hillsides of Seyssuel—a forgotten land, rediscovered. 

Explore Les Vins de Viennes, exclusively at Banville & Jones:

Les Vins de Vienne 2014 Les Palignons CrozesHermitage, France $46.99

Les Vins de Vienne 2017 d'Argent Crozes-Hermitage, France $39.99

Les Vins de Vienne 2016 Condrieu, France $79.99

Les Vins de Vienne 2016 Heluicum Rhône Valley, France $54.99

Les Vins de Vienne 2015 Sotanum Rhône Valley, France $83.99

Les Vins de Vienne 2016 Saint-Peray Blanc, France $38.99

Les Vins de Vienne 2016 Saint-Joseph, France $44.99