Saint-Péray is a unique appellation, south of Cornas, that is planted entirely to white grapes, mainly Roussanne and Marsanne. Wines from Saint-Péray remain relatively obscure as the entire appellation is only 98 hectares and not many are imported in the US. A recent Decanter article describes the wines of Saint-Péray as, "world class. They vary from medium-bodied, fresh and floral in style to full-bodied and opulent." Villard's Saint-Péray is a great example. It's composed of eighty percent Marsanne and twenty percent Roussanne in decomposed granite and clay soil with southeast exposure. The vines are roughly twenty-years-old. It's fermented and aged for eleven months in three to five year-old barrels, without racking. It's medium bodied and has great lift and freshness to it. On the palate notes of almond and apricot jump out and it has a pronounced mineral spine.