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Dreyfus, Ashby & Co.
Main Office
630 3rd Ave
15th Floor
New York, NY 10017
Phone (212) 818-0770
Fax (212) 953-2366
Adminstration
50 Avon Meadow Lane
Avon, CT 06001
Phone (860) 409-9119
Fax (860) 409-9272
E-Mail
info@dreyfusashby.com
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Robert
Gilliard
Valais
Swiss
Wines
 Switzerland
is a country of serious wine connoisseurs with the sixth highest
per capita wine consumption in the world.
The most widely planted grape is Chasselas, making these light,
fragrant white wines for which Switzerland is justly famous.
“These wines attract
the kind of consumer who loves to explore the next frontier before
others know there is one”
Eunice Fried
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 THE
HEART OF THE VALAIS
Proprietors of a vineyard of almost 40 ha at the heart of the prestigious
Sion appellation, Robert Gilliard symbolizes the family tradition and
- through its crus - provides a true taste of the soil of the Valais.
Fendant de Sion «LES MURETTES» and «DÔLE DES
MONTS» - two wines which epitomize the great traditions behind the
name of Gilliard. Their origins go back almost to the foundation of the
House in 1885. During a century of history, the estate has expanded and
diversified its appellations. Today, it produces a wide range of whites,
rosés and reds, all of which embody the spirit of their unique
native soils and noble grape varieties. Cellared, vinified and bottled
in the family cellars, Gilliard wines mirror the soul of the Valais, a
land of fire, rock and stark contrasts.
Gilliard yesterday and today
Edmond Gilliard, originally from the Vaud region, founded the Valais branch
of the dynasty. To his talents as
a grower he soon added those of remarkable wine-maker, gifts that helped
him establish the reputation of the appellations Dôle des Monts
and Johannisberg Brûle-Fer. From their inception in 1886, they were
to bring him countless national and international honors.
He was succeeded in 1918 by his son, Robert Gilliard, who enlarged the
Estates, adding numerous properties situated at the heart of the vine-growing
area on the slopes above Sion. He enlarged as well the cellars he had
inherited and soon distinguished himself through his style of vinification
"à la vaudoise". He built a great reputation for the
"Fendant les Murettes", still unanimously appreciated by connoisseurs
to this day. Under the direction of François Gilliard, who took
over in 1953, the firm expanded further acquiring vines at la Cotzette
and building new cellars at Platta. Specialities of Valais (Petite Arvine,
Amigne, Muscat, Ermitage, Malvoisie) contributed to the national and international
renown of Gilliard's range. In the firm's centenary year of 1985, with
no heir apparent to continue the line, the Gilliard family appointed Willy
Becker, related by marriage to the founding family, to continue the work
undertaken by the three generations of the family. He his now assisted
by his son, Claude, who represents the fifth generation.
Quality and Ecology
Working on the principle of quality before profit, the House of Gilliard
keeps the average of its vines at about twenty years. It is only around
the tenth year, in fact, that a vine will give of its best. In pursuance
of these objectives, the maximum yield is limited to : 1 liter per m2
for Fendant, 8 to 9 dl per m2 for Johannisberg, 7 to 9 dl per m2 for Petite
Arvine,Pinot Gris and the other specialities, 8 to 9 dl per m2 for Pint
Noir and Gamay.
Gilliard is aware of the need to protect the environment and the purity
of the wine, and therefore has adopted an integrated approach to plant
protection on its estates. Only "soft" methods are used, i.e.
treatments which do not harm the natural environment or adversely affect
the quality of the final product.
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