Winemaker Notes
Pretty yellow color with green undertones. Very fruity and fresh nose on exotic fruit, pineapple, acacia flowers, lychee's, peach. Very elegant and discreet ageing notes of sweet spice. This 2016 Condrieu presents beautiful balance between richness and mineral tension which brings a lot of length to this wine. The finish is saline with beautiful bitterness.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Spectator
Rich, offering a wide array of creamed pear, yellow apple, peach and apricot flavors stitched with citrus oil and anise notes. Stays energetic and detailed, with ripples of jasmine, honeysuckle, bitter orange and almond throughout, showing a flash of minerality buried on the finish.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Still floral and vibrant, the 2016 Condrieu Maison les Alexandrins is medium to full-bodied, with a softly dusty, tactile feel on the palate that's akin to crushed stone or gentle tannins. Apricot and melon notes turn more citrusy on the lingering 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.