2023 Château le Devay, `Entre les Murs` Viognier - Liberty

Described as ‘the most coveted domaine in the Northern Rhône’ by le Figaro (the oldest newspaper in France), Château le Devay was established in 2015.

Just two kilometres north of Côte-Rôtie, this 18th-century Château was purchased by Jean-Charles Fournet in 2005. A radiologist by trade, Jean-Charles hadn’t initially considered growing vines at the estate. This changed when his winemaker friend, Pierre-Jean Villa, recognised the estate’s potential for high-quality viticulture. After consulting legendary soil microbiologists Lydia and Claude Bourguignon, 5.5 hectares of schist and micaschist (similar to the Côte Brune) were set aside for planting in 2014. He sought advice from other winemaker friends, including Christine Vernay, Yves Gangloff and Thierry Germain. This guidance, combined with the estate's secluded location, convinced him to work as naturally as possible.

Planted 340 - 400 metres above sea level, Château le Devay’s vineyard is set within a natural amphitheatre of brittle, schist soils bordered by woodland, making it an ideal location to practise biodynamic viticulture and agroforestry. For five years, massal selections were carried out with the help of viticultural nurserymen Jean-Claude Lapierre and Lilian Berillon. This led to the creation of a private nursery “Château le Devay” in Savoie, where the best plant material of Viognier, Roussanne and Syrah is developed for grafting at the domain. In 2017, Le Devay became the experimental farm of the Pilat Regional Park, with 3,500 hedge trees and hundreds of fruit trees co-planted in the vineyards to encourage pollinating insects and biodiversity. Vineyard work is carried out by hand and includes labour-intensive ancestral pruning techniques. This allows better sap circulation and ensures long-term vine health while reducing disease risk. From 2019, they have worked closely with like-minded growers in Crozes-Hermitages and Condrieu, making the resulting wines with the same attention to detail as their estate bottlings. Their estate wines are labelled IGP Collines Rhodaniennes.

Château le Devay’s winemaking philosophy seeks to convey the tension and salinity that their schist soils provide. Harvest is undertaken by hand, and fruit is subjected to a rigorous sorting process in both the vineyard and winery. Ageing occurs predominantly in two- to three-year-old barrels, or demi-muids, to ensure new oak does not overpower their wines. The only new oak used is in the form of Stockinger barrels, which the team believe to have a more delicate oak influence.

The ‘Entre les Murs’ Viognier is fermented in a combination of stainless steel and one to three-year-old demi-muids, creating an expression which has a distinct mineral tension. The ‘En Pente Douce’ blends 85% Viognier and 15% Roussanne fermented in stainless steel, amphora, old oak and demi-muids. It offers a saline, fresh expression defined by delicate white florals and stone fruits. The ‘Sous les Etoiles’ Roussanne is beautifully textured, brimming with vibrant citrus and complemented by a precise, mineral finish. The ‘Cote Levant’ Syrah hails from the highest part of the vineyard, with an elevation of 400 metres. 50% of the grapes are semi-destemmed, a painstaking process involving hand-cutting each grape from the bunch with the stalk intact (similar to the 'Baie par Baie' technique from Pierre-Oliver Garcia). Aged for 18 months in one to three-year-old demi-muids, it is lifted and expressive with notes of vibrant black fruit and fragrant herbs.

The Château Le Devay estate vineyard is located between 340 and 400 metres above sea level, and set within a natural amphitheatre bordered by woodland, making it an ideal location to practise biodynamic viticulture and agroforestry. Local and ancient species of fruit trees also surround the estate, to encourage pollinating insects and biodiversity. Grapes for ‘Entre les Murs’ are sourced from a parcel of older vines situated below the château. The vines are planted on a south-facing hillside on mica schist soils, resulting in excellent depth and intensity.