PIERRE VIDAL

Pierre Vidal is a qualified winemaker, educated in the classrooms – and vineyards – of Burgundy. Wine is Pierre’s passion, and he makes wines to reflect his personality, authentic and direct. Where wine’s concerned, he’s an all-rounder – an expert taster who wants good wine to be available to everyone, and a hands-on winemaker who likes to be involved in every stage of the creative process. His goal is to achieve the perfect balance between what he considers to be the four essential elements of a good wine: the wholesome, rich earth of the Rhône Valley, which he explores tirelessly in search of the best terroirs; the Mediterranean climate and abundant sunshine which produce such excellent grapes; the winegrowers with whom he works day in, day out, tending the vineyards and crafting his wines; and finally, time. Time and patience, both essential to transforming grapes into good wine. Terris, Soléïs, Hominis and Temporis – earth, sun, man and time – form the basis of the Pierre Vidal range of wines.

 

For his grape supplies, Pierre relies on trusted partners with proven environmental credentials, who till their soils. Although he doesn’t have land of his own, he treats the earth with care, choosing partners who share his winemaking philosophy from vine to bottle. Pierre’s years in Burgundy taught him that the bulk of the work happens in the vineyard; growing top-quality grapes leads to wine that reflects the typicity and diversity of the Rhône Valley terroirs.

 

In the winery, Pierre’s preference is for spontaneous fermentation with no additional inputs. The process then continues in a very traditional way with rack-and-return, pump-over, punch-downs and controlled temperatures. He also favours lengthy vatting times – a minimum of four weeks – which is gentle on the wine and gives smooth, silky tannins. It takes time to coax out the best. Then comes the grand finale – the maturing stage, and the high point for Pierre Vidal wines. Depending on the grape/terroir combination, Pierre uses stainless steel tanks or barrels after 1, or sometimes 2, wines. Again, the process is unhurried; it takes time to make the wines he loves. Filtration is avoided to protect flavour.

 

Pierre Vidal’s approach to winemaking, shaped by his years in Burgundy, creates wines for every palate, suitable for every occasion. As much attention is lavished on lesser-known terroirs as on crus; he wants everyone to enjoy his wines and to fall in love with his adopted homeland, just as he did.  And since the Rhône Valley has many different faces, no two Pierre Vidal wines are alike. Every label reflects a terroir with its own story, its own character – and the promise of finding something new and wonderful.