Guigal Condrieu 2016
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Spectator -
Jeb
Dunnuck -
Wine
Enthusiast -
Robert
Parker
Product Details
Your Rating
Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
Enjoy as an aperitif, with fois gras, scrambled eggs and truffles, or delicate fish.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Spectator
Ripe and lush, offering peach, mango, papaya and nectarine flavors, this nonetheless keeps a sense of purity, with the fruit detail streaming through the creamy, textured finish, picking up a light acacia note along the way. Lovely. Drink now through 2024.
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Jeb Dunnuck
Starting with the 2016 Condrieu, it offers a light gold color and fresh, straight, lively notes of citrus, tangerine, and crushed rock. Beautifully pure, it lacks the density and concentration of the 2015 yet shines for it classic style, purity, and terrific drinkability.
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Wine Enthusiast
Lush and generous, this is textbook Condrieu from the appellation's largest producer. Subtle ginger notes add an exotic edge to the ripe apricot, mango and lychee flavors, then persist on the long finish. Drink now–2018.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Guigal now bottles approximately 40% of the appellation’s total production, so it’s fortunate that the 2016 Condrieu is a fine ambassador for the region. One-third of this bottling sees new oak, while the rest goes into stainless steel. Some may quibble with the oak in an entry-level bottling, but I don’t find it excessive. The wine remains floral and fresh, with apricot and melon flavors that finish with modest spice notes and on a silky textural note. Drink it young.
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Parker
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Robert
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The Guigal domain was founded in 1946 by Etienne Guigal in the ancient village of Ampuis, home of the wines of the Côte-Rôtie. In these vineyards that are over 2400 years old, you can still see the small terraced walls characteristic of the Roman period. Etienne Guigal arrived in this region in 1923 at the age of 14. He made wine for over 67 vintages and, at the beginning of his career, participated in the development of the Vidal-Fleury establishment.
Despite his young age, Marcel Guigal took over from his father in 1961 when the latter was victim to a brutal illness rendering him blind. Marcel's hard work and perseverance enabled the Guigals to buy out Vidal-Fleury in 1984, although the establishment retains its own identity and commercial autonomy. In 2000, the Guigals purchased the Jean-Louis Grippat estate in Saint-Joseph and Hermitage, as well as the Domaine de Vallouit in Côte-Rôtie, Hermitage, Saint-Joseph and Crozes-Hermitage.
In the cellars of the Guigal estate in Ampuis, the northern appellations of the Rhône Valley are produced and aged. These are the appellations of Côte-Rôtie, Condrieu, Hermitage, Saint-Joseph and Crozes-Hermitage. The great appellations of the Southern Rhône, Chateauneuf-du-Pape, Gigondas, Tavel and Côtes-du-Rhône, are also aged in the Ampuis cellars.
Full-figured and charmingly floral, Viognier is one of the most important white grapes of the northern Rhône where it is used both to produce single varietal wines and as an important blending grape. Look for great New World examples from California, Oregon, Washington and cooler parts of Australia. Somm Secret—Viognier plays a surprisingly important role in the red wines of Côte Rôtie in the northern Rhône. About 5% Viognier is typically co-fermented with the Syrah in order to stabilize the color, and as an added benefit, add a subtle perfume.
As the source of some of the most vibrant and powerful white wines in France, Condrieu is uniquely situated in one of the northern outposts of the Rhone River. It is the original Viognier appellation with a wine growing history reaching back well over two thousand years. Like most of the wine regions of the Northern Rhone, Condrieu’s vines grow on extremely steep and narrow granite terraces. But what makes the region unique is a topsoil, locally called, “arzelle,” made of decomposed mica. This and a sheltering of the harsh northern winds, make optimal sites to produce opulent and brilliant Viognier. It is a tiny zone with no room for expansion and produces miniscule amounts of wine each year, contributing to its allure.
A fine Condrieu will have aromas and flavors suggestive of ripe stone fruit, lime peel, green almond, ginger, white flowers and toasted nuts. A honeyed smell may mislead you to think the wine will be sweet but the modern style favors totally dry on the palate. Its texture will be full and soft but a touch of mineral will provide great balance.