Domaine Vindiou

A breath of youth in the Rhône Valley

These two long-standing friends shared the dream of making wine together, without necessarily planning to land in the Ardèche. And yet! Meet Thomas and Cyprien of Vindiou, based in the heart of the Rhône Valley, where Syrah has shone for decades. Winemakers at heart, they already plan to plant their own vines. In the meantime, enjoy the freshness of their sun-drenched wines.

How Vindiou came to be

It all began in 2014, at the opposite end of the country from where they are today: in Saint-Émilion, where Thomas and Cyprien worked their first harvest together. They then spent three years gaining experience in the vineyard and the cellar, studied for a BTSA in viticulture and oenology, then each set off around the world.
Between them, they have made wine on three continents, in eight different countries. Their goal: to learn about new cultures and different winemaking methods.
Six years and sixteen vintages later, they met up again and the idea of making wine together took shape. Their shared wish: to bring small terroirs back to life, and one day to introduce you to grape varieties discovered on their travels, made in the Rhône Valley.
The two friends behind Vindiou had no fixed destination in mind: they ended up in the Ardèche by chance, as Thomas could use his grandparents’ barn. They settled in the village of Plats, overlooking the northern Rhône Valley, where Syrah expresses itself across five appellations.
Thomas and Cyprien deeply respect the environment they are lucky to live in. They see themselves as simple “guardians of a magnificent heritage”, the one that has linked earth, sky and people for millennia.

Vindiou, a passion for unique terroirs

Not far from Beaujolais and its legendary Gamay, Vindiou sits at the gateway to the south of the Rhône Valley, where the grapes soak up the sun. While waiting for their own vines, Thomas and Cyprien work with growers who share their values and care for their land. They buy organic grapes from different terroirs: Beaujolais, Saint-Joseph, Crozes-Hermitage, Saint-Péray and the southern Rhône Valley.
“It is then up to us to transform this potential, to work these grapes with humility and respect, a task we take on with pleasure and passion,” say the two friends. As we often say at Epi-curieux: a clean vineyard gives healthy grapes, and healthy grapes give true terroir wines.

Precise winemaking

Thomas and Cyprien choose their grapes carefully, according to the grower and their work. For them this choice is essential: they follow the weather of the year, taste in the vineyard and stay closely involved with the grower until harvest.
The grapes are picked by hand into 30-litre crates to limit crushing. They first go into a refrigerated trailer so they can be vatted cold and keep their fruit. The reds are made with whole bunches, native yeasts only and a light foot-treading at vatting. Pressing, a sentimental step for the two friends, is done in a ratchet press, about twenty hours per pressing.
The wines are then aged in tank or in 2- to 4-year-old barrels, with a very light dose of sulphur at bottling if needed. Their aim: to intervene as little as possible to bring out all the freshness of these warm terroirs.

The cuvées of Thomas and Cyprien

Terroir wines signed Vindiou are fresh, fruit-driven wines, just as we love them in this region.
Among the whites, Tourbillon de la vie is a Chardonnay where part of the harvest macerates for a few days to gain aroma and texture without bitterness: a wine that brings people together, from aperitif to dinner. The Saint-Péray, from this 100% white appellation on the Ardèche border, is fruity and generous, with the energy that natural winemaking brings.
Among the reds, Brèves de comptoir is a fruity, crunchy Syrah from a high-altitude terroir: perfect for a barbecue with friends, and also available in magnum. The Saint-Joseph comes from Syrah grown on high plots on the Ardèche plateaus, for a very delicate, fine profile. Finally, the Crozes-Hermitage, made in tiny quantities, is dense and ripe with a velvety texture.
Over the years we have also loved L’amour est cerise, a nod to a Jean Ferrat song, blending Cinsault, Gamay and Merlot, and their Syrah Cinsault.
Grape varieties crafted the Thomas and Cyprien way: well worth tasting!