Hugo Vercasson: granite, altitude and the 2024 releases
From the newsletter archive. Originally sent 4 March 2026; adapted for the Journal on 29 October 2026.
Beginning in the northern Rhône
Hugo Vercasson grew up in the Vallée du Doux and learned his craft at Domaine de l’Iserand, working with Jeff Malsert. In 2021, he bought a small, steep parcel at altitude near Arras-sur-Rhône and began developing his own project.
Our March 2026 newsletter followed that beginning into a small estate around Arras-sur-Rhône and Éclassan. Granite soils, slopes reaching around 400 metres and hands-on farming shaped the wines. The newsletter described organic parcels that were certified or in conversion.
Gentle work in the cellar
The reds were fermented as whole bunches, with macerations of around fifteen days and gentle extraction. Ageing in amphora for approximately nine months preserved the fruit while allowing the tannins to settle.
The white followed a different route: direct pressing and fermentation in stainless steel. Across the wines, the emphasis was on clarity, freshness and the detail of the fruit.
The 2024 wines
Saint-You combined 94% Syrah with 6% Viognier. Dark fruit, pepper and floral lift gave a useful introduction to Hugo’s style, with structure held together by freshness.
Les Travers 2024 was pure Syrah from a small parcel within Saint-Joseph. The original release described deeper black fruit, stone and subtle smokiness, framed by fine tannins.
The white, Face à Pierre Blanche 2024, brought peach, apricot and a richer texture while retaining a fresh line. The three wines showed a young grower finding different expressions within a tightly focused area of the northern Rhône.
