Francois Villard "l'Appel des Sereines" 2021

This is what Syrah is supposed to be - spicy, fresh, delicious. A young vine Syrah from several villages: Chavanay, Ardoix, Saint-Michel-sur-Rhône, and Verin, all with a decomposed granite soil. Twelve day maceration with twenty-five percent whole clusters in open-top wood tronconique vats followed by eleven months of aging, half in the vat and half in neutral barrels. Peppery and juicy. Vibrant floral aromatics and fresh fruit notes. Lively and complex, with notes of black and blueberries, woodsmoke and allspice.

Francois Villard made the switch from chef to winemaker back in 1989 and since then he's received much acclaim for his northern Rhone wines which display both richness and elegance. He farms organically, harvesting later to achieve optimal ripeness, and employs traditional winemaking techniques and minimal sulfur at bottling.