St. Joseph Digue

Cave Cuilleron is, above all, a family estate. A passion for wine has been in their genes for three generations.
For decades, the domaine has undertaken traditional, straightforward vinification. Cuilleron’s main ingredients? Hand picking of grapes, meticulous sorting in situ, alcoholic fermentation using only wild yeasts, and ageing in oak.
The business may be growing, but remains deeply attached to the traditional principles of cap-punching and open-vat pumpovers. They use no oenological products, and technology is kept to the bare minimum.
Yves articulates his vision of the terroir through the wines he makes. From plot to bottle, many decisions are required to express this vision and arrive at wines that satisfy his expectations. A Cuilleron wine bears the imprint of its terroir: it has an original character. Although a large vat room has been built, we have kept many small vats used for single-plot vinification. Although Yves seeks an overarching harmony in the range, the Cuilleron touch lends each wine its own style. They do not focus on a single cuvée and establish a hierarchy; instead, each product is bespoke – the word that best defines us.
“Digue” is located on a very steep, south-facing hillside in the municipality of Saint-Pierre-de-Bœuf. The soil consists of Velay granite and pale migmatites. The “Digue” plot is planted solely with Roussanne, and was the main contributor to the “Saint-Pierre” cuvée until 2015, when it changed to Lieu-dit Digue.
Cool decantation post pressing, fermented 50% oval 30 hl Stockinger oak vats, 50% 228-litre oak casks (10% new, 90% 1-2-3 years), raised 8-9 months, no racking, regular lees stirring, malo completed, egg white fined, filtered.
Drink with white meats, shellfish, ravioles of lobster & a saffron sauce.
The nose gives a ripe vintage aroma – ginger, almond, a note of orange marmalade, with apricot juice. The palate bears a suave gras richness, marked by white fruits, peaches, with a tang and grip as it closes, a definite knuckle of tightness there. There is some glow on the aftertaste. Slightly rugged, but true enough St Joseph blanc. 13.5°vol. Drink 2022-23