Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Brimming with fresh peach and apricot aromas with hints of toast and rose. This impressive Condrieu has excellent balance of fruit, fine tannins and lively acidity on the full-bodied palate. Matured in 30% new oak casks and 70% stainless steel tanks. Drink or hold.
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Wine Spectator
Reveals ripe kumquat, green plum and pear puree notes that have a glycerol texture on a finely tuned palate, with heather and dried thyme accents. The density builds in this juicy yet restrained white, with finely crushed minerals driving tension throughout a finish that goes on and on. Delicious.
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Jeb Dunnuck
There's not much to go around (Guigal lost 50% of their production due to frost in Condrieu), but the 2021 Condrieu is a beautiful wine offering lots of variety in its white peach, tart apricot, truffly earth, and floral aromas and flavors. Balanced, medium-bodied, and elegant, in short, it's a textbook and outstanding Condrieu.
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Wine Enthusiast
With a fresh and floral profile, this wine offers clean aromas of citrus and a captivating bouquet of white rose, chamomile, lilac and violet. Balanced with firm minerality, it presents a textured palate featuring white tea leaf, ripe white peaches, white peppercorn and a long stony finish.
The Guigal domain was founded in 1946 by Etienne Guigal in the ancient village of Ampuis, home of the wines of the Côte-Rôtie. In these vineyards that are over 2400 years old, you can still see the small terraced walls characteristic of the Roman period. Etienne Guigal arrived in this region in 1923 at the age of 14. He made wine for over 67 vintages and, at the beginning of his career, participated in the development of the Vidal-Fleury establishment.
Despite his young age, Marcel Guigal took over from his father in 1961 when the latter was victim to a brutal illness rendering him blind. Marcel's hard work and perseverance enabled the Guigals to buy out Vidal-Fleury in 1984, although the establishment retains its own identity and commercial autonomy. In 2000, the Guigals purchased the Jean-Louis Grippat estate in Saint-Joseph and Hermitage, as well as the Domaine de Vallouit in Côte-Rôtie, Hermitage, Saint-Joseph and Crozes-Hermitage.
In the cellars of the Guigal estate in Ampuis, the northern appellations of the Rhône Valley are produced and aged. These are the appellations of Côte-Rôtie, Condrieu, Hermitage, Saint-Joseph and Crozes-Hermitage. The great appellations of the Southern Rhône, Chateauneuf-du-Pape, Gigondas, Tavel and Côtes-du-Rhône, are also aged in the Ampuis cellars.
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.