In the small village of Chusclan, where 85% of the 256-hectare production goes to the local cooperative, Chateau Signac is the one proprietary cellar. But the viticultural practices under this brilliant ingenieur agronome are as rigorous as anywhere in the southern Rhône. Jean-Marc Amez-Droz's family bought Chateau Signac in the late 1980s, attracted to the remarkable property, with sandy calcareous soil more typical of the best spots of Chateauneuf than the villages of the southern Rhône. Wines are made from an unusual mix of varieties, including a healthy dose of spicy, lower pH Counoise.