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Francois Villard Les Contours De Deponcins Viognier 2022
François Villard Les Contours de Deponcins Viognier 2022 comes from the northern Rhône estate of François Villard, a producer who has played a major role in the region’s modern generation of small, quality focused domaines. Villard began his career as a chef before turning to wine in the late 1980s, eventually building an estate centered on steep hillside vineyards across appellations like Condrieu, Saint-Joseph, and Côte Rôtie. While his wines are polished, the approach remains closely tied to site and careful vineyard work rather than excess extraction or heavy oak.
Les Contours de Deponcins is Villard’s broader regional expression of viognier, sourced from vineyards surrounding Condrieu and neighboring sites with granite based soils and strong hillside exposure. The goal is to capture the aromatic and textural qualities of the grape while maintaining freshness and structure.
The wine is made from 100 percent viognier. Fruit is harvested by hand and gently pressed, with fermentation carried out in a combination of stainless steel and oak barrels. Aging takes place largely in neutral oak with regular lees contact, building texture and roundness while avoiding an overly marked wood character.
The 2022 vintage reflects the warmth of the growing season but stays balanced through careful picking and Villard’s restrained handling. The wine shows the floral and stone fruit profile typical of viognier, supported by moderate richness and steady acidity rather than excessive weight.
A thoughtful northern Rhône interpretation of viognier that balances varietal character with freshness and a clear sense of place.
