Viognier Mon Grand Père était Limonadier 2024 Julien Pilon

The Viognier Mon Grand Père était Limonadier 2024 from Julien Pilon is a bottle that begins by making you smile, and ends by leaving a lasting impression. Its name is a true, personal story: Julien Pilon's grandfather really was a limonadier, a café owner, a man of the bar and the bistrot. A familiar, playful tribute that says a great deal about the character, a winemaker who refuses unnecessary seriousness and prefers to let his wines speak for themselves. And with this Viognier, they speak loudly and truly: intense, expressive, unmistakably Rhône, made from a blend of several parcels located mostly at 300 metres altitude in the Collines Rhodaniennes.

The grape and the terroir

The IGP Collines Rhodaniennes covers a vast territory along the Rhône Valley, from the northern Drôme to the borders of the Loire, adjoining the most prestigious appellations of the northern Rhône, Condrieu, Côte Rôtie, Hermitage, of which Julien Pilon is a recognised specialist. It is precisely in this illustrious neighbourhood that this Viognier finds its character: the selected parcels, planted at altitude on granitic and schistous soils swept by the valley winds, benefit from a natural freshness and a mineral tension that temper the inherent generosity of the grape. Viognier, king of the whites of the northern Rhône, is a capricious and demanding variety, capable of producing the most beguiling or the most ponderous wines in the world depending on the vigneron's mastery. In the hands of Julien Pilon, trained at Mas Amiel, in Spain at Terra Remota, then with Pierre-Jean Villa in Chavanay, it always reveals its most elegant and most digestible side.

Tasting profile

The colour is limpid with golden highlights, brilliant and generous. The nose is expressive and immediately typical of Rhône Viognier at its most alluring: intense aromas of fresh apricot and yellow peach intertwine with notes of white flowers, acacia, orange blossom, and citrus, with a light touch of ginger and sweet spice that adds complexity. With air, nuances of passion fruit and violet enrich the bouquet. On the palate, the attack is supple and fresh, carried by a lovely natural acidity that brings tension and digestibility to a full, generous body. The palate is broad and aromatic, without ever tipping into heaviness, and this is precisely Julien Pilon's signature: a vigorous yet digestible style, where the fruit expresses itself freely without weighing things down. The finish is persistent, lightly spiced, with a return of apricot and flowers that is the mark of the region's finest Viogniers.

The domaine

Julien Pilon is one of the most endearing and most promising figures of the northern Rhône vineyard. Based in Condrieu, he has only been making wine since 2010, a youth in the world of wine, yet has managed in a very short time to create a personal and immediately recognisable style, honoured with a star by the Revue du Vin de France. Trained at Mas Amiel in the Roussillon, then in Spain at Terra Remota in the Empordà region, and finally with Pierre-Jean Villa in Chavanay, he has built a precise and demanding vision of what the northern Rhône can offer at its finest in white. His structure, a small scale producer and négociant, selects and meticulously vinifies grapes from the best parcels, from IGP Collines Rhodaniennes up to Hermitage Grand Cru, by way of Condrieu, Côte Rôtie, Saint-Joseph and Cornas. Each cuvée bears a whimsical, memory laden name, Mon Grand Père était Limonadier, Dimanche à Lima, Buveur d'Argile, La Porchette, each one a nod to a life well lived.

Food pairings

This Viognier pairs beautifully with pan seared scallops with ginger and coriander, a chicken tagine with apricots, a langoustine curry with fresh coriander, a mi cuit foie gras with sweet spices, or a soft bloomy rind cheese such as Brillat-Savarin. It will also be delicious served as an apéritif, lightly chilled between 10 and 12 °C, to enjoy the full aromatic burst of the grape.