Saint Joseph from generation to generation

Jérome Peleyras | 12/6/22

Saint-Joseph is an appellation in the northern Rhône Valley, covering 26 communes in the Ardèche and Loire departments. Known for its Syrah-based red wines, the appellation also produces between 10 and 15% white wines from the Roussanne and Marsanne grapes. Land prices remain affordable for young people in this AOC, making it easier for families to pass on land or create new estates. Portraits of the new faces of Saint Joseph.

Pauline Villa, Domaine Pierre Jean Villa

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Pierre-Jean Villa founded his domaine in 2009, in the heart of the northern Rhône valley. The estate, recently certified organic, extends over 17 hectares of major crus on the right and left banks of the Rhône: côte-rôtie, condrieu, saint-joseph, crozes-hermitage and on the slopes of Seyssuel, north of Vienne. Today, he's passing on the reins to his children, Pauline and Hugo. Interview with Pauline Villa.

"I'm in the process of setting up in 2021. I first studied business, and now I'm taking over the estate with my brother Hugo, who is the eldest. Alongside this, we've set up a trading business, to test our mettle and get the hang of things. With vines in several Rhône Valley appellations, including 5-6 ha of Saint Joseph. My desire to set up my own business came after my second or third year of business school, when I came into contact with the food trade. My brother had left to study environmental engineering. The call of the land was strong. I always say that the vine is a creeper that is constantly spreading. Once you've set foot in the world of wine, you tend to get eaten up by passion. We're lucky to have vineyards in the Northern Rhône Valley and Saint-Joseph, which are magnificent terroirs."

https:// pierre-jean-villa.fr

Pauline Perret, Domaine Perret

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Domaine Perret is located in Chavanay, north of the Saint-Joseph appellation, on 13 hectares of vines. The estate uses conventional farming methods. André Perret took over and reconverted the family business, which had initially been mainly planted with trees, by gradually planting vines and renting and acquiring vineyard land. He is now handing over to his daughter, Pauline Perret. Here's an interview about this handover.

"I was born with my nose in wine, and I was always with my father in the vineyards or in the cellar. I'm taking over the estate bit by bit, gradually renting out hectares. This allows for a gradual handover. The Saint Joseph appellation is very large, and there are still plots of land to be planted, which is one of the reasons why young people can set up in business. The appellation is also affordable in terms of land prices, but there's a lot of work to be done in the terraced vineyards, and that can be scary. The 2022 vintage is shaping up to be magnificent, but there's less of a crop of white wines, as Roussanne is a grape variety that suffers from drought. The berries were small, with little juice. This is the only downside to the 2022 harvest, which went very well. For the reds, the bunches were magnificent. We're pleasantly surprised by this vintage."

www.andreperret.com

Maxime Verzier, Domaine Verzier

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The Verzier family has been present in Chavanay since 1828. Philippe Verzier took over the vineyard in 1988, leaving the cooperative cellar and setting up his own estate. Today, this represents 14.7 hectares converted to biodynamic viticulture (Demeter-certified since 2018). His son, Maxime Verzier, joined him in 2016. Here's an interview with Maxime on this handover from father to son.

"Taking over the business was an obvious choice. I developed a passion for wine quite early on, and it was a natural progression. Saint-Joseph is a beautiful appellation, with fine terroirs and a consistent land price, unlike other Rhône Valley appellations. You have to bear in mind that it's almost impossible for young people to buy land, unless they come into an inheritance. The prices charged are just insane. In the Saint Joseph AOC, we have parcels that are worth their true value. We're lucky to have beautiful terroirs on granitic or sandy soils that produce really powerful and interesting wines with our beautiful Syrah. 2022 will be a very fine vintage, we were afraid right up to the end with the ambient drought and the low rainfall. We were lucky to get 60 mm of rain the week of August 15. This enabled the grapes to ripen nicely and the vine cycle to get back on track. Nevertheless, the young vines suffered greatly."

www.vign obles-verzier-chanteperdrix.com

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