Christophe Pichon

Christophe Pichon took over from his father and began expanding this Chavanay estate in 1991, building it into one of the northern Rhône's benchmark addresses for Condrieu, Côte-Rôtie, Saint-Joseph, and Cornas. His standing in the region runs deep: he has led the Condrieu growers' syndicate, carrying on the work of Georges Vernay, who saved that appellation from near-extinction. Sons Corentin and Alexis now join him as the third generation, Corentin bringing what he learned in Barossa. The vineyards climb granite hillsides so steep that one Côte-Rôtie parcel can only be worked by horse. These are serious wines from serious ground, carrying all the elegance and perfume those slopes are known for, and priced well under what neighboring names on the same hillsides command.

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Producer:	Christophe Pichon
Country:	France
Region:	Rhone
Subregion:	Northern Rhone
City of Origin:	Chavanay
Date Founded:	1993
Vineyard Size:	49.4 acres
Total Annual Production:	100,000 bottles

Property History:

It has always been a family affair. I took over the estate from my father, then in 1991 I bought some more vineyards. Two years later, I invested in an abandoned hillside so as to plant some Saint Joseph vines. Today, the estate owns 5 hectares of Condrieu, 4 hectares of red Saint Joseph, 2 hectares of white Saint Joseph, 3.9 hectares of Côte-Rôtie, 0.5 hectares of Cornas, 1 hectare of white Vin de Pays Collines Rhodaniennes and 0.5 hectares of red Vin de Pays in Seyssuel.

Owner History:

After finishing his studies in viticulture and oenology, Corentin joined the family estate in 2012. In 2014, he spent 6 months vinifying Syrah in Australia, in the well-known Barossa Valley region. On his return to France, he began vinifying his second vintage for the same year ! As a result of his broad experience, he has refined the vinification style in complete harmony with the estate's way of thinking and maintains the respect of the vines and the wines. As an example, he is now making white wines without sulphites. As for Alexis, he is gradually discovering all the different steps of wine-making, from working in the vineyards to the cellar, before acquiring more experience in the commercial activity of the estate. Alexis also hopes to spend some time abroad both to improve his English and to discover other wine producing domains. Learning about different cultures for producing and selling wine will broaden his experience.