Winemaker Notes
Pale yellow with silver reflections, this balanced and generous white wine has notes of lemon, nectarine, acacia flower, and lime blossom with crisp acidity and nice length.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
In spite of the rich apricot fruit and spring blossom aromas this has a wonderful energy and freshness for Condrieu. Totally silky mouthfeel with lots of wet stone minerality and a delicate hint of bitterness at the finish. A single-vineyard wine that was matured in a combination of concrete eggs and new oak casks.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Made in one concrete egg and one or two barriques, the 2021 Condrieu Les Grands Amandiers (Domaine) is in a floral, fresh style, not too ripe on the nose, but offering a generous, apricot-like flavor and round mouthfeel. It's medium to full-bodied, silky in feel, with a long, slightly tactile finish.
Full-figured and charmingly floral, Viognier is one of the most important white grapes of the northern Rhône where it is used both to produce single varietal wines and as an important blending grape. Look for great New World examples from California, Oregon, Washington and cooler parts of Australia. Somm Secret—Viognier plays a surprisingly important role in the red wines of Côte Rôtie in the northern Rhône. About 5% Viognier is typically co-fermented with the Syrah in order to stabilize the color, and as an added benefit, add a subtle perfume.
As the source of some of the most vibrant and powerful white wines in France, Condrieu is uniquely situated in one of the northern outposts of the Rhone River. It is the original Viognier appellation with a wine growing history reaching back well over two thousand years. Like most of the wine regions of the Northern Rhone, Condrieu’s vines grow on extremely steep and narrow granite terraces. But what makes the region unique is a topsoil, locally called, “arzelle,” made of decomposed mica. This and a sheltering of the harsh northern winds, make optimal sites to produce opulent and brilliant Viognier. It is a tiny zone with no room for expansion and produces miniscule amounts of wine each year, contributing to its allure.
A fine Condrieu will have aromas and flavors suggestive of ripe stone fruit, lime peel, green almond, ginger, white flowers and toasted nuts. A honeyed smell may mislead you to think the wine will be sweet but the modern style favors totally dry on the palate. Its texture will be full and soft but a touch of mineral will provide great balance.