The terraced vineyards of Condrieu, some of which are very steep, extend directly after those of the Côte Rôtie from the small town of the same name on a loop of the Rhone over several vineyards facing south and southeast for about 15 kilometers along the river to the south. The vines grow here on hard, more or less weathered granite soil with varying proportions of mica and clay.
One hundred percent Viognier here produces an often decidedly lush, high-alcohol white wine with warm, melting fruit, floral aromas and often tones reminiscent of beeswax. The acids here are generally quite low, and so it is a corresponding feat to keep these powerful wines in balance. The more mineral the wines turn out, the better they succeed. The tops of the region counter power and opulence with amazing freshness, precision, as well as cooling and backbone-giving minerality so skillfully that it is hard to resist the fascination of these wines, which are quite unique in the world.
