Geography

Condrieu is a small Northern Rhône appellation — about 200 hectares — running along the right (west) bank of the Rhône just south of Côte-Rôtie. The vineyards are perched on steep granite slopes terraced (sometimes by hand-built stone walls dating back centuries) to make farming possible. Within Condrieu sits the tiny Château-Grillet appellation — a single 3.5-hectare estate that has been a separate AOC since 1936 and is the smallest in France.

The grape

Condrieu is 100% Viognier — see /encyclopedia/grapes-encyclopedia/viognier-encyclopedia/ for the full grape entry. By 1965 only about 14 acres of Viognier remained in the world, all in Condrieu. The variety has been revived globally since, but Condrieu remains the spiritual home and the stylistic reference. The wines are made in a range of styles — bone-dry, late-harvest sweet, and increasingly with some lees aging or oak influence depending on producer preference.

Style of the wines

Apricot, white peach, honeysuckle, jasmine, lychee, candied ginger, beeswax, with a glycerol-rich palate weight that feels almost oily. Acid is moderate to low; alcohol high (typically 14-14.5%). The aromatic intensity is the calling card — Condrieu announces itself from across the room. Young Condrieu drinks at its aromatic peak; the wines are not particularly age-worthy compared to the Northern Rhône reds.

How they age

Most Condrieu is best drunk within three to five years of vintage, when the aromatic intensity is at its peak. Top bottlings (Yves Cuilleron, Georges Vernay, François Villard, Yves Gangloff) can age ten to fifteen years and develop a honeyed, lanolin, savory tertiary complexity. Château-Grillet ages longer.

Producers we know

Yves Cuilleron (the modern leading producer), Georges Vernay (the family that effectively saved the appellation from extinction), Domaine du Monteillet (Stéphane Montez), François Villard, Yves Gangloff, Pierre Gaillard. Château-Grillet is a separate estate of cult status.