Originating from Picardie in the North of France, Xavier is proud of his « Picard » roots and of his modest origins. His mother is an agriculturist and his father is a stone mason trained by the craftmans guild “Les Compagnon du Tour de France.” Xavier was brought up the hard way which has given him good, strong values: the love for a job well done, but also a certain contrarian state of mind.
His in depth knowledge of the Rhone Valley with no less than 34 harvests as an oenologist in every corner of the globe, his mentors, all the vintners he has been working with, and his incredible memory have been forging his style and identity.Xavier has been consulting for the very best wineries all his life and now dedicates his talents to his own creations.
After years of branding his wine under « Xavier Vins », the time has come for him to express himself in his own name, Xavier Vignon, as he desires before anything else to share his wines, the fruit of his passion, with people whether they are new wine drinkers, amateurs or connoisseurs.
The wine making process always favors soft diffusion of tannins versus extraction and the oenological inputs are limited as much as possible. The wines are the result of complex blends including different soils types within a same appellation to guarantee the best possible balance while reaching good complexity.
"Vignon's seeming obsession with minerality in wine has led to him seeking sites that express that feature (as he perceives it). He's also experimenting with various different vessels for aging, and even submerging filled barrels within tanks of wine—as he did with the outstanding 2016 Arcane La Papesse. - Joe Czerwinski"
- Robert Parker's Wine Advocate (September 2020)
- Robert Parker's Wine Advocate (Issue #239, October 2018)
