Condrieu

I want to buy some. Last time I bought I got hosed. it was over the hill 2005. I didn’t know any better! Recommendations, please! [d_sunny.gif]

Sarah, Dan Fredman is you go to guy…he’s even got a Condrieu bumper sticker on his car.

PS: 2005 “over the hill”?!?!? That was a BABY.

Guigal

ask Carrie B - she is in the biz and like me, a lover of Condrieu.

Sarah,
Try a Francios Villard, or a Gorges Vernay. They are consistent, classic(yet more modern styled) examples. Rene Rostaing makes Viognier in a more steely, mineral style. If you are in the lower alc., no oak camp, try an Andre Perret. Very clean, crisp and minerally.

Vernay or St. Cosme.

I love the Guigal Doriane … YUM !

If you like minerally, Vernay Les Terrasses de l’Empire or Perret (Clos Chanson or Chery) as John suggested. If you like fatter style with maybe some oak, Vernay Coteau de Vernon or Gangloff or Guigal La Doriane.

-Al

NO! It really was totally DEAD! OK I’ll ask Mr. Fredman.

Fat and blousey!

As Tom Hill puts it, the “Dolly Partons”.

I like both styles, I think, but will have to make a point of trying more this summer. I would defer to Dan, he is the man!

It is one varietal I love fat and blousey!

Very interesting varietal. For my palate its gotta be very ripe. That’s when it produces the chracteristic terpenes that create the heady apricot skin spice floral burnt peach honey jasmine mango beeswax yummyliciousness that to me defines its’ typicity. Its incredibly ugly when it’s ripe. It doesn’t seem to show what I like until it’s pushing 27 brix. At that ripeness I’ve thrown it as whole cluster into syrah at 5-8%. That’s the only time I ever use whole clusters, with the rakis (branched part of stems) totally desiccated and literally falling apart.

Lately I have had a few barrel fermented full malolactic viogniers thrown at me by Somms for my opinion. The only thing I can say to that is WHY?

Sarah, do you know Morgan Clendenen? A fiesty gal, she does her own cool climate stuff (Cold Heaven) and does a Santa Barbara/Condrieu blend with Cuilleron(sp?). She makes her wine where Wes makes his. I can pm you her cell and I can tell her you are gonna call her so you have an intro? She goes over and works in Condrieu every year and could tell you more than you want to know.

Morgan makes lovely viognier wines. Her Cold Heaven wines tend to be in the crisp, elegant style. The blend with Cuilleron, bottled under the Domaine de Deux Mondes label, is bigger, oilier, and sees some new oak (from the Cuilleron part).

-Al

I so know Morgan and adore her and I LOVE her Viogniers to pieces. I forgot about her connection with Yves. I will ask her

Opened a 2006 Andre Perret “Chery” on tuesday night…a brilliant wine and WOTN for a few of the participants.
Gorgeous with seared scallops…


Cheers!
Marshall

ditto to what Al and Peter said. I’d also recommend Guigal’s regular Condrieu in most years as well as the La Doriane. Also from Condrieu, Geo. Vernay and Marie Paule Dumazet, with the latter being one of the best QPR’s I’ve ever had. Cold Haven Voigniers are interesting, but a bit crisper than I prefer. Ampelos from Santa Barbara and Fausse Piste (a new producer) from Oregon and Harlequin from Colombia Valley in Washington are worth searching out. There’s also this place called Virginia that produces some worthy Viognier.

I thought the French/Cali blend was the Deux C?

Whichever Guigal they were pouring at HdR was this year, I found to be rather thin- there was a huge hole in the mid-palate for me.

2007 Guigal Linda? yikes!