Sophie Eymin and Kevin Tichoux are two passionate winemakers. Their young estate is located in Seyssuel, a small French village located on the left bank of the Rhône river and is part of the Vitis Vienna vineyards, an area that deserves recognition for its exceptional growing lands and historical significance in vine cultivation.
The duo is known for producing some of the most exceptional wines in this region. They operate organic agriculture, with a focus on Syrah grapes grown on steep terraces.
The Domaine Eymin Tichoux Vineyards
The vineyard covers an area of nearly 5 hectares and is made up of five different parcels of land spread across the slopes of these great lands. The soil here is composed mainly of granite, which lends itself well to producing wines that are rich in minerality and complexity.
Sophie and Kevin use only organic methods to cultivate their vines. This approach not only helps them produce high-quality grapes but also ensures that their wines are healthier for consumption as they contain fewer harmful chemicals. The grapes are harvested manually.
Vitis Vienna Wines
The young estate located in Seyssuel is part of the Vitis Vienna vineyards. This area was awarded the IGP Collines Rhodaniennes in 2012. The wine makers from this area are working on integrating the Vitis Vienna vineyards into the Côtes-du-Rhône appellation as Côtes-du-Rhône Seyssuel to reflect the high quality of the wines. Seyssuel producing Condrieu is known for its passion for the vines, exceptional growing lands, organic agriculture practices, personalized welcome, and offering tours and tastings by appointment.
First steps in wine making
Sophie Emin and Kevin Tichoux met at the polytechnic in Montpellier where both studied wine making “Viticulture Eunologie”. In the time following their studies they gain a lot of experience in the world of wine making. Sophie and Kevin are working in Chile, South Africa, Burgundy – Domaine René Bouvier in Gevrey-Chambertin and in the northern Rhone region with Pierre-Jean Villa and Stéphane Ogier. Settling in Seyssuel was the obvious choice due to their familial and historical ties to the area.
Passion of Wine Making
Sophie Eymin and Kevin Tichoux are truly passionate about the art of wine making. Gastronomy bringing them together, they don`t want to take from nature but rather want to give back by cultivating their vines organically and using recycled or natural materials for labelling, printing and packaging of their wine bottles. Which we could see when visiting their domaine.
History of the Domaine Eymin Tichoux
Sophie grew up in Seyssuel where her family owns well exposed fallow land on the schist and granite hillsides of the town north of Vienne on the left bank of the Rhône. As a child, her grandparents evoked incredible memories of harvesting in these places. Since then, she has always dreamed of reestablishing vineyards on these magical hillsides. A personalised welcome awaits visitors, including a tour of the cellar, winery, vineyards, and a tasting by appointment as part of their hospitality services.
Vines were cultivated in Seyssuel until the 1920ies when most vines fell victim to the phylloxera. Winemaking was re-started in this area in the early 1990ies.
First Steps at the Domaine Eymin Tichoux
In 2014 they realise their dream. Sophie and Kevin raise first capital by a crowd funding campaign to start wine makling. The couple begins to clear the hillside and they replant vines. The first vines they replant are Syrah vines in 2015.
On the other bank of the Rhône, they plant Roussanne on a granite hillside at a place called Varembon and recover a small plot of Côte-Rôtie ideally located at a place called Le Truchet in the heart of the appellation. The overall vineyard grows to 4 hectar in the following years. They work the ground by horse, pickaxe or crawler.
Le Truchet
In the cellar they use gentle vinification techniques with minimal intervention into the natural processes. The wines aged for a long time in old and new oak barrels under precise conditions at the Domaine Eymin Tichoux.
The team produces the first vintage in 2017 from these exceptional growing lands and they start selling the Côte-Rôtie “Le Truchet” in 2019. Following a traditional vinification of the wine, the cuvée ages for 18 months in barrels 20% of which in new wood.
The “Le Truchet” cuvee shows notes of leather, smoke or even violet. These are characteristic notes of Syrah on these magnificent terroirs of the Côte-Rôtie.
Terroir at le Truchet
The plot where “Le Truchet” grows benefits from a south, south-west exposure. This orientation on steep hillsides is optimal for the quality of the grape and its maturity. This also allows a sanitary quality of the harvest thus avoiding many treatments against vine diseases which corresponds to the philosophy of the estate which works in organic farming.
The cultivation of the vines is done manually using the same methods as their ancestors, with the advantageous help of their horse. They harvest grapes manually to preserve their quality.
Where to Buy Eymin Tichoux Wines ?
Today the domaine eymin tichoux covers wines from Côte-Rôtie, Seyssuel (red and white) and Saint-Joseph (white). You can find their wines directly at their domaine or at the Diivino wine shops.
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