6 different wines (1 White, 5 Red)
At his home base in Condrieu (Chavanay to be precise), Yves took massal selections of six nearly-extinct native varietals that were once common in the surrounding hills, planted them, and began producing micro ferments as a way to explore the historic DNA of Cote Rotie, Condrieu, Cornas, and Champagne (yes, Champagne, and don't worry we will get to that in a moment).


Yves Cuilleron 22 Crenillat "Anciens Cépages"
This white varietal was originally from the Gier Valley. You know of it as Arbane, the "lost" varietal of Champagne made famous by our friends at Moutard with their eponymous mono-varietal, highly-sought-after, super expensive example from the Cote des Bar. All of Moutard's century-old Arbane vines are descendants from today's "Crenillat" clone. The number of hectares of Crenillat planted is still very limited. This varietal never really took off commercially in the Northern Rhone, but should have. In this 2022, you get a delicately textured wine with a lighter palate than the region's Viognier and Roussanne, less acid than Clairette, and with a complex bouquet dominated by notes of yellow peach, noticeable minerality, and long aging potential.

Yves Cuilleron 21 Dureza "Anciens Cépages"
You can think of the Dureza in this set the way you think of the College Football Rose Bowl Game - The granddaddy that started it all! Yes - Dureza, originally from Ardeche, was crossed with Mondeuse Blanche to create Petite Serine, which after more selection evolved to become the Syrah used in Cote Rotie as you know it (we will get to Petite Serine in a moment don't worry). As you might expect, Dureza is much tighter than Petite Serine (the Mondeuse really opened things up after the breeding), and its large, plump berries are tragically sensitive to mildew. If one has unlimited acreage and unlimited budget so as not to be concerned for mildew loss, this is an interesting varietal in a global warming era with its tight palate structure in today's "normal" years. 

Yves Cuilleron 21 Petite Serine "Anciens Cépages" 
As noted above, Petite Sirene is the historical predecessor to today's Syrah, and is a cross of Mondeuse Blanche and the Dureza that you might have just clicked to book. It is much less productive than today's Syrah, and is as sensitive as Pinot Noir in the vineyards in terms of challenging conditions. Petite Sirene's small berries produce elegant wines with a cherry element that you don't see in today's clones of Syrah. This is a can't miss purple unicorn to throw to your best Northern Rhone clients and unbeatable fun as a club wine.

Yves Cuilleron 21 Durif "Anciens Cépages"
Durif is the varietal in this set that all of you are familiar with. You know it as Petit Sirah, and you know the story of early movers planting it mistakenly in California as Syrah (they made a mistake when selecting their massal). Interestingly, there used to be a TON of Durif in Cote Rotie, Saint Joseph, and Crozes Hermitage in the late 18th century - We were not aware of this until setting with Yves. For perspective, there were 500 hectares of productive Durif planted in the Northern Rhone in 1880, while now you'll find just 2 hectares, most of which are used for today's wine! So fun as a two part flight with a top California example.

Yves Cuilleron 21 Chatus "Anciens Cépages"
You can think of Chatus as the "hardcore" selection today. Book this for clients who seek high acid in their Northern Rhone reds, because Chatus throws acid in spades! Too much so for my palate on this new 2021 release, but everyone else at the table was loving it and it is good to be zen. Just know what you are getting into here! Before phyloxxera this varietal was widely planted in the Ardeche, north Drôme, and in the hills of Tain. Add a wall of tannins to the above mentioned singe of acid, and you have a darkish-colored-for-category, experimental red that should be great in 15 years when we are hopefully not all living like robots with VR headsets and chips in our brains

Yves Cuilleron 21 Persane "Anciens Cépages"
Last up is Persane, which is an old variety originally hailing from the mountains of Savoie, and was brought down to the Isère, and up to Northern Drôme and Lyon. This has a similarly high acid character to Persane, with an interesting raspberry violet core. This is best left unopened for 5 years - It shows YOUNG today.