Condrieu Pagus Luminis Louis Cheze (Domaine) 2019

Lot presentation

Condrieu Pagus Luminis Louis Cheze (Domaine) 2019

The wine

Located at the top of the hill, the 2-hectare Pagus Luminis parcel has produced this cuvée since the 1993 vintage. Located on the slopes of Limony, it benefits from a southerly exposure and granitic soil. Here, 25-year-old Viognier vines are sustainably farmed, and their yields are estimated at 32 hl/ha. In the vineyards, selective sorting on the vine is conducted, with harvesting by hand. In the cellar, a second sorting on a vibrating table is carried out, followed by pressing, settling, and alcoholic and malolactic fermentation in barrique barrels with lees stirring. The wine is then matured for between 8 and 10 months in barrels used once or twice before, before filtration and bottling. This Condrieu has a pretty yellow-gold colour. Its nose reveals attractive white flower and peach notes. The palate is direct and supple, and finishes with a beautiful mineral note. It is advisable to drink it while still young and fruity, between 2 and 4 years old. Others will appreciate the tertiary aromas of Viognier after a few years' keeping.

Louis Chèze started his venture in 1978 with one hectare of vines in the Saint-Joseph appellation, on a hillside on the right bank of the Rhône in the commune of Limony. Since then, the domain has grown to 30 hectares, and owns vineyards in Saint-Joseph, Condrieu and more recently, on the other side of the Rhône on the hillsides of Seyssuel, opposite the Côte-Rôtie. Like François Villard, Yves Cuilleron and Pierre Galliard, Louis Chèze now cultivates vines on the remains of the ancient Roman vineyards there. The domain has a modern winery so the vinification process is as fine-tuned as it can be. Every cuvée is the outcome of a meticulous single parcel selection that allows the terroir and grapes to express themselves fully. As the wines are produced on a granite terrain they are very fresh, stylish and full of character. This Rhône Valley domain is growing in reputation.