{"title":"La Vrille et le Papillon","description":"\u003cp\u003eI first met Géraldine and Méryl via Anders Frederik Steen and Anne Bruun Blauert, when the couple suggested I tasted with their village neighbours during a visit in 2021. Tasting through the cuves and vats with little conversation, the immediate drinking pleasure of their wines was what struck me that day. Since then, their wines have remained firm favourites, offering outstanding value and remarkably gratifying drinking, a forgotten virtue in modern wine. The couple’s unassuming, matter-of-fact sensibilities make perfect sense, the poetry is all in the bottle, and the almost physical sensuality of their wines so tricky to articulate.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe couple live at Méryl's old family cellar in Valvignères, across from the local co-op, which Méryl's father helped establish. Méryl first worked as a stagiaire with the Oustric family, whose influence is reflected in the couple's approach today. He then went on to study agriculture in Dijon and oenology in Montpellier, working in Madiran and the Maconnais before returning home to set out on his own. Géraldine grew up in a winemaking family in Burgundy, training in law before eventually returning to wine, studying viticulture and oenology, after which she took an apprenticeship with Philippe and Catherine Jambon. The pair remain characteristically bashful when the pedigree of their training is mentioned. When returning to Valvignères in 2012, they took over Méryl's family cellar and set about establishing a GAEC, inheriting 2.5 hectares of vines around the village that have since increased to 6, mostly straddling the eastern and western flanks of the valley. The varieties are what you might expect - Syrah, Viognier, Grenache Blanc, and Merlot, and Grenache Noir - and some you might not, such as the Ugni Blanc that goes to their stellar Q blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon, and a handful of hybrids. As part of transhumance, sheep pass through their vineyards twice per year, turning and fertilising the soil, cutting the grasses that grow between the rows, and adding to the biodiversity that thrives in their vineyards. La Vrille et le Papillon, meaning the tendril and the butterfly, is a name inspired by their parcel of Ugni Blanc at the base of the valley, where butterflies thrive through the growing season, a fitting symbol for the couple's endeavours.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"caprice-du-chameau-2023-la-vrille-et-le-papillon","title":"Caprice du Chameau 2023 - la Vrille et le Papillon","description":"\u003cp\u003eViognier from two opposing sites in Valvignères, one facing east catching the morning sun, and the other in the west. Hand harvested and pressed in whole bunches, the juice was allowed to settle for a short period before fermentaion in stainless, with the temperature kept in check. Eight months ageing on fine lees followed before bottling. Géraldine prefer steel ageing for their Viognier and here we see why, with a nervy edge keeping the expressive aromatics and unctuous palate in check.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ePlenty of ripe, fleshy white peach, blossoms, and power, which shine rather than shout through the stony fresh mineral density we love in Viognier from this valley.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eThe producer\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eI first met Géraldine and Méryl via Anders Frederik Steen and Anne Bruun Blauert, when the couple suggested I tasted with their village neighbours during a visit in 2021. Tasting through the cuves and vats with little conversation, the immediate drinking pleasure of their wines was what struck me that day. Since then, their wines have remained firm favourites, offering outstanding value and remarkably gratifying drinking, a forgotten virtue in modern wine. The couple’s unassuming, matter-of-fact sensibilities makes perfect sense, the poetry is all in the bottle, and the almost physical sensuality of their wines so tricky to articulate\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe couple live at Méryl's old family cellar in Valvignères, across from the local co-op, which Méryl's father helped establish. Méryl first worked as a stagiaire with the Oustric family, whose influence is reflected in the couple's approach today. He then went on to study agriculture in Dijon and oenology in Montpellier, working in Madiran and the Maconnais before returning home to set out on his own. Géraldine grew up in a winemaking family in Burgundy, training in law before eventually returning to wine, studying viticulture and oenology, after which she took an apprenticeship with Philippe and Catherine Jambon. The pair remain characteristically bashful when the pedigree of their training is mentioned. When returning to Valvignères in 2012, they took over Méryl's family cellar and set about establishing a GAEC, inheriting 2.5 hectares of vines around the village that have since increased to 6, mostly straddling the eastern and western flanks of the valley. The varieties are what you might expect - Syrah, Viognier, Grenache Blanc, and Merlot, and Grenache Noir - and some you might not, such as the Ugni Blanc that goes to their stellar Q blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon, and a handful of hybrids. As part of transhumance, sheep pass through their vineyards twice per year, turning and fertilising the soil, cutting the grasses that grow between the rows, and adding to the biodiversity that thrives in their vineyards. La Vrille et le Papillon, meaning the tendril and the butterfly, is a name inspired by their parcel of Ugni Blanc at the base of the valley, where butterflies thrive through the growing season, a fitting symbol for the couple's endeavours.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eThe place\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eDespite its positioning to the south of the prized vineyards of the Northern Rhone, this rugged valley produces Viognier of elegance and poise, with the Mistral keeping temperatures in check and the clay and limestone soils the predominate in the valley lending the variety a polished-stone minerality when vinified in the right hands. Géraldine \u0026amp; Méryl’s use of temperature control during fermentation preserves the tension between the inherent fruitiness of viognier and telluric backbone that is a hallmark of wines from this valley.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eGrapes:\u003c\/strong\u003e Viognier\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eRegion:\u003c\/strong\u003e Valvignères, Ardèche, France\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eABV:\u003c\/strong\u003e 13.5%\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"La Vrille et le Papillon","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":54988702351698,"sku":"25\/000751","price":30.0,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1116\/0246\/7154\/files\/bw-caprice-du-chameau-2023.jpg?v=1793699098"},{"product_id":"celle-den-face-2016-la-vrille-et-le-papillon","title":"Celle d'en Face 2016 - La Vrille et le Papillon","description":"\u003cp\u003eA more structured red than Meryl's early-drinking cuvées, from the warmer 2016 vintage and ten years on. Vinified in line with the estate's general approach: organic fruit, indigenous yeasts, no added sulphur. Now showing the secondary character that good Ardèche reds develop with age: dried herb, spice, a darker fruit profile, with the acid line still bright from the limestone underneath. A serious bottle that justifies being kept this long.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eThe producer\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eI first met Géraldine and Méryl via Anders Frederik Steen and Anne Bruun Blauert, when the couple suggested I tasted with their village neighbours during a visit in 2021. Tasting through the cuves and vats with little conversation, the immediate drinking pleasure of their wines was what struck me that day. Since then, their wines have remained firm favourites, offering outstanding value and remarkably gratifying drinking, a forgotten virtue in modern wine. The couple’s unassuming, matter-of-fact sensibilities makes perfect sense, the poetry is all in the bottle, and the almost physical sensuality of their wines so tricky to articulate\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe couple live at Méryl's old family cellar in Valvignères, across from the local co-op, which Méryl's father helped establish. Méryl first worked as a stagiaire with the Oustric family, whose influence is reflected in the couple's approach today. He then went on to study agriculture in Dijon and oenology in Montpellier, working in Madiran and the Maconnais before returning home to set out on his own. Géraldine grew up in a winemaking family in Burgundy, training in law before eventually returning to wine, studying viticulture and oenology, after which she took an apprenticeship with Philippe and Catherine Jambon. The pair remain characteristically bashful when the pedigree of their training is mentioned. When returning to Valvignères in 2012, they took over Méryl's family cellar and set about establishing a GAEC, inheriting 2.5 hectares of vines around the village that have since increased to 6, mostly straddling the eastern and western flanks of the valley. The varieties are what you might expect - Syrah, Viognier, Grenache Blanc, and Merlot, and Grenache Noir - and some you might not, such as the Ugni Blanc that goes to their stellar Q blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon, and a handful of hybrids. As part of transhumance, sheep pass through their vineyards twice per year, turning and fertilising the soil, cutting the grasses that grow between the rows, and adding to the biodiversity that thrives in their vineyards. La Vrille et le Papillon, meaning the tendril and the butterfly, is a name inspired by their parcel of Ugni Blanc at the base of the valley, where butterflies thrive through the growing season, a fitting symbol for the couple's endeavours.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eThe place\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eValvignères, Ardèche\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eGrapes:\u003c\/strong\u003e Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eRegion:\u003c\/strong\u003e Valvignères, Ardèche, France\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"La Vrille et le Papillon","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":54988702417234,"sku":"1700102","price":32.0,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1116\/0246\/7154\/files\/bw-celle-d-en-face-2016.jpg?v=1793699099"},{"product_id":"q-blanc-2023-la-vrille-et-le-papillon","title":"Q Blanc 2022 - La Vrille et le Papillon","description":"\u003cp\u003eFrom Ugni Blanc vines planted in 1976 on limestone and clay, with production of just 1200 bottles. Hand harvested, with whole bunches going straight to the press. After a light settling, the juice fermented in tank with temperatures controlled, before ageing on fine lees in stainless for 8 months prior to bottling.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eNotes of citrus and a fine acidity make this a thirst-quencher of a wine, to be drunk as an aperitif or with a plate of shellfish. Electric Ugni from Géraldine and Méryl!\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eThe producer\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eI first met Géraldine and Méryl via Anders Frederik Steen and Anne Bruun Blauert, when the couple suggested I tasted with their village neighbours during a visit in 2021. Tasting through the cuves and vats with little conversation, the immediate drinking pleasure of their wines was what struck me that day. Since then, their wines have remained firm favourites, offering outstanding value and remarkably gratifying drinking, a forgotten virtue in modern wine. The couple’s unassuming, matter-of-fact sensibilities makes perfect sense, the poetry is all in the bottle, and the almost physical sensuality of their wines so tricky to articulate\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe couple live at Méryl's old family cellar in Valvignères, across from the local co-op, which Méryl's father helped establish. Méryl first worked as a stagiaire with the Oustric family, whose influence is reflected in the couple's approach today. He then went on to study agriculture in Dijon and oenology in Montpellier, working in Madiran and the Maconnais before returning home to set out on his own. Géraldine grew up in a winemaking family in Burgundy, training in law before eventually returning to wine, studying viticulture and oenology, after which she took an apprenticeship with Philippe and Catherine Jambon. The pair remain characteristically bashful when the pedigree of their training is mentioned. When returning to Valvignères in 2012, they took over Méryl's family cellar and set about establishing a GAEC, inheriting 2.5 hectares of vines around the village that have since increased to 6, mostly straddling the eastern and western flanks of the valley. The varieties are what you might expect - Syrah, Viognier, Grenache Blanc, and Merlot, and Grenache Noir - and some you might not, such as the Ugni Blanc that goes to their stellar Q blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon, and a handful of hybrids. As part of transhumance, sheep pass through their vineyards twice per year, turning and fertilising the soil, cutting the grasses that grow between the rows, and adding to the biodiversity that thrives in their vineyards. La Vrille et le Papillon, meaning the tendril and the butterfly, is a name inspired by their parcel of Ugni Blanc at the base of the valley, where butterflies thrive through the growing season, a fitting symbol for the couple's endeavours.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eThe place\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eHistorically overlooked and ignored, Valvignères has emerged as an epicentre for progressive viticulture and winemaking in the 21st century. Existing in the shadow of the hulking economy of the Rhone valley, the small valley west of le Teil made its name when Gérald Oustric and his sister Jocelyne decided to cease selling their fruit to the local co-op(which Geralds father helped found in 1919) to begin producing wines themselves. Having farmed organically since the 80s, Gérald had been convinced to make his own wine after several trips to Beaujolais in the 80s, where he met Jacques Neauport, Jules Chauvet, Pierre bonneton et al. This move would have significant domino effects, with Gerald adopting Carbonic maceration for his reds, no filtration or fining, and no sulfitage in his cellar. This freed to small region from the shackles of the establishment in the region and reconnected with the valleys historical winemaking traditions(Valvignères comes from the Roman Vallis Vinaria, meaning valley of vines). Gerald would go on to mentor 15 growers in the region, cultivating a spirit of collaboration and sharing of ideas that existed few other places in France. The wines from cellars in this cluster share an irresistably heady, telluric, and deeply soulful quality that makes them great value and well worth exploring. In terms of geology, we are almost in the south, but noticeably cooler than you might find just 20km south. Situated on what's traditionally known as the Bas Vivarais, the soils are predominantly clay and limestone, with outcrops of marne bleue and basalt.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eGrapes:\u003c\/strong\u003e Ugni blanc\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eRegion:\u003c\/strong\u003e Valvignères, Ardèche, France\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"La Vrille et le Papillon","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":54988711952722,"sku":"17000148","price":29.5,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1116\/0246\/7154\/files\/bw-q-blanc-2022.jpg?v=1793699100"}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1116\/0246\/7154\/collections\/la-vrille-et-le-papillon--i32.jpg?v=1793700215","url":"https:\/\/www.brianswines.ie\/collections\/la-vrille-et-le-papillon.oembed","provider":"Brian's Wines","version":"1.0","type":"link"}