Condrieu AOC
Wine region | |
Official name | Wine from the Condrieu AOC |
---|---|
Type | AOC |
Year established | 1940 |
Country | France |
Part of | Rhône Valley |
Climate region | mild continental |
Soil conditions | gneiss |
Total area | 202 ha |
No. of vineyards | 101 |
Grapes produced | Viognier |
No. of wineries | 76 |
Wine produced | sec, demi-sec, doux |
Comments | 2005 |
Condrieu (From the
History
For most of the 20th century before the early 1970s, the only northern Rhône wine well-known far from the region was
The increase in demand led to new plantations inside the appellation's border, which at the time was far from fully exploited and at one stage included many abandoned vineyards. The area under vine was less than 12 hectares (30 acres) in the 1960s, 14 hectares (35 acres) in 1982, 98 hectares (240 acres) at the end of the century and 135 hectares (330 acres) in 2005.[5][6]
Climate and geography
As in much of Northern Rhone, the climate of Condrieu is
The Condrieu AOC covers more than 500 acres (202 ha)[9] of hilly terrain located along a 12 miles (19 km) stretch of the Rhône.[10] The AOC region begins at the town of Condrieu and extends south along the west bank of the river to the town of Limony. Within the AOC is 8.5 acres (3.4 ha) of Château-Grillet, which has its own micro-appellation.[9]
Wine
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/22/Condrieu_Viognier.jpg/220px-Condrieu_Viognier.jpg)
The only wine that can be sold under the Condrieu AOC is a white wine made entirely from Viognier. The clone of Viognier grown in Condrieu produces low yields of small berries and is less productive than the clones planted in other regions of France, such as the vin de pays wine of the neighboring Ardèche department. This contributes to the expense of Condrieu AOC wine, of which only 30 000 or so cases are produced annually.[10] In the early to mid 20th century, Condrieu producers tended to make wines that were off-dry to sweet but by the end of the century the trend was to produce mostly dry wines. In particularly favourable vintages, some producers will make a sweet late harvest wine.[7]
Condrieu wine is often characterised by delicate aromatics of
Aging
The ability of Condrieu to age is much discussed in the wine industry and opinions differ. Some experts like Master of Wine Mary Ewing-Mulligan believe that it is best consumed within three years of harvest.[10] The Oxford Companion to Wine describes Condrieu as one of the few luxury wines that is meant to be consumed young, typically within two to four years.[8] Wine writer Tom Stevenson recommends drinking Condrieu within four to eight years of harvest and notes that its freshness and purity can be lost as the wine ages.[7] James Molesworth of Wine Spectator notes that some vintages of Condrieu, such as the 2004, will produce more intense, concentrated wines that will age gracefully.[9]
Appellation regulations
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/78/Viognier.jpg/220px-Viognier.jpg)
The Condrieu AOC can only be used for still white wines made from Viognier. The planting density must be at least 6 500 vines per hectare, and the base
References
- ^ ISBN 1-56305-434-5
- ^ a b Appellation regulations, version of October 28, 2009 on Légifrance
- ISBN 0-671-68702-6
- ISBN 0-671-68702-6
- ^ ISBN 978-0-520-24433-7.
- ISBN 1-84000-332-4
- ^ ISBN 0-7566-1324-8
- ^ ISBN 0-19-860990-6
- ^ a b c d J. Molesworth "Vintage Analysis: Northern Rhône 2003 and 2004 Archived 2008-12-05 at the Wayback Machine" Wine Spectator December 06, 2005
- ^ ISBN 0-7645-5354-2