Condrieu AOC

Coordinates: 45°27′50″N 4°46′06″E / 45.46389°N 4.76833°E / 45.46389; 4.76833
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Condrieu AOC
Wine region
Official nameWine from the Condrieu AOC
TypeAOC
Year established1940
CountryFrance
Part ofRhône Valley
Climate regionmild continental
Soil conditionsgneiss
Total area202 ha
No. of vineyards101
Grapes producedViognier
No. of wineries76
Wine producedsec, demi-sec, doux
Comments2005
Location of the Condrieu AOC among the major in wine regions of the Northern Rhône

Condrieu (From the

enclaved within Condrieu and produces wines that are also 100% Viognier. The Condrieu AOC was officially created in 1940.[2]

History

France and Great Britain, Condrieu would find its way to the London market.[4]

For most of the 20th century before the early 1970s, the only northern Rhône wine well-known far from the region was

Marcel Guigal at Ampuis helped expand the market for Condrieu wines. Guigal primarily made his name with his Côte-Rôtie wines which then paved the way for his bottlings from other appellations, which also includes a significant portion of white wine. Guigal's Condrieu was sourced from small growers in the appellation.[5]

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

flowering. The steep incline of many vineyards exposes them to soil erosion.[8]

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

A Condrieu wine

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

full bodied and rich in a style that is texturally similarly to Chardonnay.[9] Normally the wine is made dry but the fruitiness and perfume of the bouquet can suggest sweetness.[7] The Viognier grape is naturally low in acidity, which challenges growers and winemakers to keep the wine from becoming flabby and bleak. Some winemakers in the region use malolactic fermentation and some do not.[8] The delicate flavors of the wine can be overwhelmed by too much oak during the winemaking process.[1]

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

Viognier grapes

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

chaptalisation. If the wine has more than 45 grams per liter of sugar (only applicable for rare sweet Condrieu wines), it must not have been chaptalised to reach that sugar level.[2]

References

45°27′50″N 4°46′06″E / 45.46389°N 4.76833°E / 45.46389; 4.76833