Louis Chèze started his venture in 1978 with one hectare of vines in the Saint-Joseph appellation, on a hillside on the right bank of the Rhône in the commune of Limony. Since then, the domain has grown to 30 hectares, and owns vineyards in Saint-Joseph, Condrieu and more recently, on the other side of the Rhône on the hillsides of Seyssuel, opposite the Côte-Rôtie. Like François Villard, Yves Cuilleron and Pierre Galliard, Louis Chèze now cultivates vines on the remains of the ancient Roman vineyards there. The domain has a modern winery so the vinification process is as fine-tuned as it can be. Every cuvée is the outcome of a meticulous single parcel selection that allows the terroir and grapes to express themselves fully. As the wines are produced on a granite terrain they are very fresh, stylish and full of character. This Rhône Valley domain is growing in reputation.

This cuvée originated in 2004 and comes from a four-hectare shale, quartz and micaceous plot. The destemmed berries were treaded, macerated and fermented in thermo-regulated vats. The wine was then aged in new French barrels (10%) and in barrels which hold two or three wines (40%) for 12 to 14 months. On tasting, the wine charms us with its intense, dark hue which exudes an equally intense nose. Rich in notes of sweet spices and ripe fruit, its frank attack and its beautiful tannic structure means it can be kept for several years in the cellar and be paired with roasted and braised meat.