Why it matters
The producer
François Villard came to wine from professional chef work and founded the domaine in 1989. It is a first generation Rhône producer with 41.44 total vineyard hectares, split between 19.76 hectares of red grapes and 21.68 hectares of white grapes. The estate works with both owned and sourced fruit.
Red wines use whole clusters when possible and age 12 to 20 months in Burgundy barrels and wooden vats. Indigenous yeasts and minimal sulphur preserve the natural expression of the fruit.
Place and vineyards
Where the wines begin
Crozes-Hermitage and Saint-Joseph are the Rhône appellations named by the red wines. Crozes-Hermitage is carried by Certitude, while Saint-Joseph is carried by Poivre et Sol. An appellation is a regulated place name, so each term identifies the regional category printed on the bottle.
The label therefore pairs a place with a cuvée name: Crozes-Hermitage Certitude and Saint-Joseph Poivre et Sol. The wines share a Rhône setting while carrying different appellation names.
Wines to know
The range in view
The named red range divides between Crozes-Hermitage and Saint-Joseph. Crozes-Hermitage Certitude is the 2023 bottle named in the range. Saint-Joseph Poivre et Sol is a 2023 red with 80% whole cluster fermentation and 15 months of barrel ageing in barrels aged between two and four years.
The bottles differ by appellation, and Poivre et Sol also carries a defined stem percentage and ageing period. Whole clusters leave stems in the fermenting wine, where they can add perfume, spice and grip.