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 Rhône over several south and south-east facing vineyards for about 15 kilometres along the river to the south. The vines grow here on hard, more or less weathered granite soil with varying amounts of mica and clay.
Here, one hundred per cent Viognier produces an often decidedly lush, alcohol-rich 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. This succeeds all the better the more mineral the wines turn out. The tops of the region counter power and opulence with astonishing freshness, precision, as well as cooling and backbone-giving minerality so skilfully that it is hard to resist the fascination of these wines, which are quite unique in the world.
