Producer Dard & Ribo

FRANCE, RHONE

Renè Jean Dard and François Ribo have their base at Mercurol, a small village near Tain the Hermitage, in the north of Rhone, Syrah and Voigner. The couple formed agni at the beginning of the eighties buying a hectare of vineyard. In 1984 they left their first vintage and today they are the most acclaimed producers in the wine bars of natural wines in France and Japan. Renè and Francois cultivated eight hectares of vineyards strewn between seven villages, including the Crozes-Hermitage, St-Joseph and Hermitage areas. All vineyards are cultivated in Syrah and in the Roussanin native white berry variety. Run under biodynamic regime with total chemical resetting and use of copper and sulfur only. In the basement, after manual and selected harvesting, the bunches are decomposed to 90%, while the rest is not destemmed to favor fermentation, which is spontaneous without yeasts selected, macerations vary according to vintage but usually last from 10 to 20 days, no temperature control, aging is done in medium-sized barrels. No sulfur dioxide is used throughout the vinification process. The wines of Renè Jean Dard and François Ribo are elegant, deep, natural, respectful of the terroir of origin and above all by great drinks.