René-Jean Dard and François Ribo, two famously reserved vignerons from Mercurol, north of Valence, founded their estate in 1984. Started from just a single hectare, the estate is today composed of 9 hectares of vines, with parcels in the appellations of Saint-Joseph, Crozes-Hermitage and Hermitage. The wines produced are the result of tremendous work put into their single vineyard cuvées. Their methods have gone unchanged for the last 30 years: non-interventionists, 10% of the grapes are trodden by foot, no additives are used, and a long decanting period is used in place of filtering. The estate’s wine press dates back to 1955, which was bought from Prieuré-Roch in 1992. Precision and purity are the hallmarks here. The wines always show brilliantly in their youth, driven by their fruit and freshness, but they also age divinely.

Dard et Ribo were one of the first natural wine producers in the Northern Rhone, and their classic, refined wines are highly sought after by wine bars all over the world, as well as by collectors for ageing. Since the mid-80s, they’ve been working without herbicides. Their reds are remarkable, but their whites should not be missed, which account for 35% of their production. Grapes grown include typical Rhone varietals like Syrah, Roussanne, Marsanne and Viognier.

Their estate is a treasure, nestled in the heart of three prestigious appellations: Saint-Joseph, Crozes-Hermitage and Hermitage. Each parcel at the estate is vinified individually and often co-planted with red and white grapes. Many plots are always destined to the 'basic' Crozes-Hermitage or Saint-Joseph blend, but specific parcels have over the years been identified as particularly expressive and worthy of single vineyard bottlings. Each vintage, René-Jean and François decide if they want to bottle these or not. They include Les Baties, Pitrou, Pé de Loup, Les Karrières, Les Champs and many others. If not, they are added to the blend.