Les Vins de Vienne

Les Vins de Vienne was founded in 1996 by three established Northern Rhône vignerons who shared a vision of reviving the ancient Roman wine region of Seyssuel. The Seyssuel sector lies on the right bank of the Rhône just north of Côte-Rôtie, between the city of Vienne to the north and the Côte-Rôtie appellation boundary to the south. Roman writers including Pliny the Elder had cited the wines of Vienne as among the most prized of Gaul, and archaeological evidence suggests substantial viticulture in the Seyssuel sector through the Roman period and into the medieval era. By the late twentieth century, however, the sector had been entirely lost to viticulture: phylloxera in the late nineteenth century devastated the area's vineyards, and post-war agricultural changes eliminated what remained. By 1996, when Cuilleron, Gaillard, and Villard came together to launch the project, no commercial viticulture existed in Seyssuel at all. The three founders identified the historical sector through Roman-era documentation, archaeological surveys, and field reconnaissance, then began replanting on the most promising steep south-facing schist slopes.

• Founded 1996 by Yves Cuilleron, Pierre Gaillard, and François Villard with the goal of reviving Seyssuel
• Seyssuel sector lies on the right bank of the Rhône between Vienne and the Côte-Rôtie boundary
• Roman writers (including Pliny the Elder) cited the wines of Vienne as among the most prized of Gaul
• Sector entirely lost to viticulture by the late twentieth century; phylloxera and post-war agricultural changes eliminated medieval-era vineyards

Through 1996 and the following years, the three founders replanted a few hectares of Syrah on Seyssuel's steepest south-facing schist slopes, choosing parcels they identified as having the strongest historical and geological case for premium viticulture. The schist soils are similar to the iron-rich micaschist of Côte-Rôtie's Côte Brune sector to the south, providing a logical extension of the Northern Rhône terroir into a previously lost zone. Viognier was planted in subsequent years, completing the white-grape side of the Seyssuel vision and connecting the new sector to the broader Condrieu appellation aesthetics that the founders worked elsewhere. The first red vintage was produced in 1998, just two years after the founding, and the first white vintage followed in 2000. The Vins de Vienne wines from Seyssuel emerged as the first modern commercial production from the sector since the medieval period, validating the founders' vision and establishing the Seyssuel sector as a working appellation-adjacent zone (formally classified as IGP Collines Rhodaniennes since the wines do not fall within any existing AOC).

• Replanted a few hectares of Syrah on Seyssuel's steepest south-facing schist slopes in 1996 and following years
• Schist soils similar to Côte-Rôtie's Côte Brune micaschist; logical extension of Northern Rhône terroir into a lost zone
• First red vintage produced in 1998, just two years after the founding; first white in 2000
• Vins de Vienne wines from Seyssuel emerged as the first modern commercial production from the sector since the medieval period

Each of the three founders is an established Northern Rhône vigneron with his own separate estate and identity, and Vins de Vienne sits alongside their individual operations as a joint project rather than absorbing them. Yves Cuilleron, based in Chavanay, runs Domaine Yves Cuilleron with substantial holdings in Condrieu, Saint-Joseph, Côte-Rôtie, Crozes-Hermitage, and Saint-Péray, and is one of the most prolific Condrieu producers in the appellation. Pierre Gaillard, based in Malleval, runs his own domaine with holdings in Saint-Joseph, Côte-Rôtie, Condrieu, and Cornas, with the Gaillard Côte-Rôtie cuvées among the more respected modern producers in the appellation. François Villard, based in Saint-Michel-sur-Rhône, runs Domaine François Villard with extensive Condrieu, Saint-Joseph, and Côte-Rôtie production. The three founders bring complementary expertise to the joint project: Cuilleron's commercial reach, Gaillard's traditional Northern Rhône connections, and Villard's experimental approach to winemaking combine to give Vins de Vienne a stylistic and operational identity distinct from any single founder's estate.

• Yves Cuilleron (Chavanay): Domaine Yves Cuilleron with major Condrieu, Saint-Joseph, Côte-Rôtie holdings; one of the most prolific Condrieu producers
• Pierre Gaillard (Malleval): Domaine Pierre Gaillard with Saint-Joseph, Côte-Rôtie, Condrieu, Cornas holdings
• François Villard (Saint-Michel-sur-Rhône): Domaine François Villard with extensive Condrieu, Saint-Joseph, Côte-Rôtie production
• Three founders bring complementary expertise: commercial reach, traditional connections, experimental approach

Beyond the foundational Seyssuel project, Vins de Vienne expanded into a négociant operation purchasing fruit from across the Northern Rhône appellations, complementing the three founders' individual estate productions. The négociant cuvées include Côte-Rôtie wines (including the popular La Chambée Côte-Rôtie), Condrieu (including La Chambée Condrieu and others), Saint-Joseph cuvées, Crozes-Hermitage, and other appellation wines drawn from purchased fruit and managed under the Vins de Vienne label. The Seyssuel core wines (sold as IGP Collines Rhodaniennes since Seyssuel does not have its own AOC) remain the project's identity statement and are typically priced at moderate levels reflecting the more accessible IGP designation rather than premium AOC pricing. The full Vins de Vienne portfolio thus includes both IGP Collines Rhodaniennes (Seyssuel core) and a broader range of AOC wines from purchased fruit, giving consumers access to multiple Northern Rhône appellations through a single négociant brand. Recent developments include the gradual recognition of Seyssuel by external observers and the entry of additional producers into the sector, vindicating the founders' 1996 vision.

• Expanded into négociant operation purchasing fruit from across Northern Rhône appellations: Côte-Rôtie, Condrieu, Saint-Joseph, Crozes-Hermitage
• Seyssuel core wines sold as IGP Collines Rhodaniennes (no AOC for the sector); typically priced at moderate levels reflecting IGP designation
• Côte-Rôtie La Chambée and Condrieu La Chambée are among the popular négociant cuvées in the broader range
• Recent recognition of Seyssuel and entry of additional producers into the sector vindicate the founders' 1996 vision

Les Vins de Vienne is one of the most significant new-development projects in modern Northern Rhône history. The 1996 founding represented the deliberate revival of a lost wine region (Seyssuel) that had been celebrated in Roman and medieval times but erased by phylloxera and modern agricultural change, a project that few comparable appellations have successfully attempted. Through Cuilleron, Gaillard, and Villard's combined expertise and capital, the Seyssuel sector was brought back into commercial viticulture for the first time in roughly a century, and the project's success has attracted additional producers (Stéphane Ogier among others) into the sector, gradually building Seyssuel back into a recognized wine zone even without formal AOC status. The broader négociant operation gives Vins de Vienne commercial scale that supports the long-term Seyssuel investment and provides consumers with an accessible entry point to the Northern Rhône appellations through a single brand. For students of the Northern Rhône, Vins de Vienne represents the Roman and medieval historical depth of the region, the modern revival capacity of dedicated producer collaborations, and the geographical extension of the Northern Rhône terroir into previously lost zones. The project's continuing influence on the Seyssuel sector and the broader Northern Rhône négociant market makes it essential context for any serious engagement with the modern appellations.

• Most significant new-development project in modern Northern Rhône history: deliberate revival of a lost wine region (Seyssuel) celebrated in Roman and medieval times
• Three founders bring complementary expertise (Cuilleron commercial reach, Gaillard traditional connections, Villard experimental approach) to the joint project
• Seyssuel sector now hosts multiple producers, validating the founders' 1996 vision and establishing a new appellation-adjacent zone for the Northern Rhône
• Broader négociant operation provides accessible entry point to Northern Rhône AOCs alongside the founders' individual estate productions