Winemaker Notes
Typical aromas of Viognier and a palate with ripe, dry, tangy, and nutty flavors that evolve throughout the experience, leaving a lingering perfume that tempts you to experiment with food pairings.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Spectator
Ripe and showy, with pear, yellow plum and white peach flavors mixed together, wrapped in jasmine and acacia notes and backed by a hint of warm brioche on the finish. Drink now through 2021.
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Wine & Spirits
Lionel Faury’s 2017 Condrieu stands out for its delicacy. Petal-light floral notes blend with savory spice; lemony acidity keeps the peach flavors taut and streamlined. A small portion of the blend aged in used barrels, adding a little substance to the body, but it’s not at all heavy; instead, it has the crisp-yet-rich texture and light toastiness of a sand cookie, snappy and tender at once.
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.