François Villard, originally trained as a chef and sommelier, founded his domaine in Condrieu in 1989 and produced his first Condrieu in 1991. Based in the northern Rhône, he farms vineyards in Condrieu, Côte-Rôtie, and Saint-Péray, all tended sustainably and certified organic as of 2022. Over the years, his style has shifted from richly oaked and flamboyant to more refined and terroir-driven, emphasizing whole cluster fermentation, native yeasts, and restrained oak. “Deponcins” comes from a single south-facing vineyard in the village of Saint-Michel-sur-Rhône, planted on decomposed granite with mica, a classic Condrieu terroir that brings both richness and mineral lift to Viognier. Villard ferments the wine with native yeasts at cool temperatures and ages it on fine lees for 12–16 months in a mix of mostly used and some new oak barrels (about 25% new). A final aging period in stainless steel helps preserve freshness before bottling. This cuvée consistently shows a more restrained and precise expression of Condrieu, with focus on texture and site transparency.