Cave de Chante Perdrix
Philippe Verzier
Young Philippe Verzier, at 29 years old, already has eleven vintages under his belt. At 18, he was called back from school to take over the family property after his father had a sudden heart attack. At that point, he decided to make his own wine rather than sell the grapes to the local cooperative as his father had always done. The estate has been run organically since the mid-sixties, but like many people in the area, it has never been certified. This would be too much trouble. Philippe’s father, recently deceased, farmed his land eschewing modern trends towards monoculture, but rather embracing a philosophy, or way of life, centered around “polyculture” farming. This promotes a perfect equilibrium between man and nature that carries forth into the pest management (or lack thereof) as the orchards and vineyards do not become a magnet for one specialized pest or disease.
Verzier’s wines have been special from the start, largely because of excellent vineyard sites and older vines inherited from his father, but now he is really honing his style to produce wines with power, finesse and balance. The addition of a hectare (2.2 acres) of prestigious Condrieu vineyards a few years back have made him a grower to contend with in the area. | 