From two hectares of vines situed on the south of the Tain l’Hermitage commune, on the plot Malfondière. Laya is an old name of the district of Tain l’Hermitage. The grapes are handpicked; and then sorted, crushed and totally destemmed in the cellar. Fermented in open top, temperature-controlled vats for about 3 weeks, with regular cap-punching and pumping-over. Alcoholic fermentation in vats with native yeasts and malolactic fermentation in barrels.

ABOUT DOMAINE YVES CUILLERON

Yves Cuilleron succeeded his uncle, Antoine, in 1987. This highly regarded domaine has been steadily expanding. With vineyard holdings of only 3.5 hectares when Yves Cuilleron assumed control, he is now pushing toward 100 hectares with vines in every Northern Rhône appellation, save for Hermitage. Cuilleron is not shy about using new oak, but the percentage has been throttled back over the last decade, which is a positive result. Cuilleron travels extensively, and his wines are now omnipresent worldwide. The entry-level Syrah bottlings deliver excellent value and are a great and readily available introduction to the house style, which favors generous fruit and relative accessibility. That said, recent vintages have become a bit more serious, showing more restraint and structure than in the past.