Introduction

By Paul Caputo

Condrieu is one of the world’s great white wines. The great shame is that there simply isn’t enough to go around. Viognier, in this tiny little growing area is rich and fat, exotically aromatic and capable of providing truly exceptional wines that are utterly unique. The best boast depth and concentration and ooze with flavours of fresh apricot and ripe stone fruit.

When you think of today’s appreciation for Condrieu, its reputation for fragrant and exotic wines has spanned copy cat plantings all over the world and seen its wines sell for eyebrow raising prices in trendy New York and Shanghai wine bars, it’s hard to imagine that the wine was all but extinct fifty years ago.

Much of the revival is focussed around Marcel Guigal who purchased much of the wine in the early 1990s and used the Guigal name and international client based to promote the wines around the world.