François Villard trained as a chef before setting up his domaine in 1989. Today, his vineyard spans 30 hectares over nearly all the appellations in the region. François also took part in a joint project called Vins de Vienne: him and two other master vignerons (Yves Cuilleron and Pierre Gaillard) replanted the very old Seyssuel vineyard. François loves to build, and with each vintage he creates new vats for his wine that he christens with a comical name, normally a play on words. He produces 400,000 bottles a year and is adored by enthusiasts and critics alike.

To create this wine, François Villard has manually harvested twenty-year-old Syrah, grown on a decomposed, east and south-east facing, and granite and quartz soil. The harvest, partially whole, fermented in open stainless-steel vats and wood for two weeks before the wine was aged for 15 months in barrels for between two and four years. On tasting, it offers up a subtle balance between finesse and elegance that results in notes of red fruit and spices.