Condrieu
Condrieu is said to have been crowned by the French gastronomy writer Curnonsky as one of the best wines in France. But what’s behind this reputation? Condrieu’s geology, for one thing. The appellation is perched on granite slopes that are so steep (often over 50˚) that winegrowing becomes an acrobatic feat. All plots are planted on terraces, supported by dry stone walls known as chailles. Winegrowers here therefore need to be masons, too! It’s impossible to get a tractor up into the vineyards, so to work the land they need patience, as well as a pickaxe or a plough.
Then there are the vines. Viognier is the only grape variety permitted here, and it produces fragrant, fresh white wines, with notes of peach, apricot and violet, or even honey – in short, rich wines. The grapes ripen very well here in the Mediterranean sunshine. Once ready, these beautiful wines are bottled in the famous yellow glass bottle known as the “Condrieu flute”. Finally, the winegrowers have particularly high standards. The appellation, which nestles between the villages of Condrieu, Vérin, Saint-Michel-sur-Rhône, Chavanay, Malleval, Saint-Pierre-de-Bœuf and Limony, has just 220 hectares of vines. Condrieu was granted appellation status in 1940, but it was only in 1986, under the impetus of Georges Vernay, that the winegrowers decided to produce on only the best hillsides, i.e. those situated at an altitude of 300 metres or less, with the best exposure and the best protection from the cold winds. This choice, the climate conditions and the appellation’s low yields make Condrieu a rare wine. Condrieu also has another appellation within in it – Château-Grillet. This 3.5-hectare monopole or single-vineyard appellation pre-dates Condrieu, dating back to 1936!
So who are the winegrowers of Condrieu? Producers you can find on iDealwine include Georges Vernay, E. Guigal, Yves Cuilleron, Stéphane Montez, Louis Chèze, Pierre Jean Villa, Jean-Michel Gerin and François Villard and Delas Frères.
