Condrieu 2005 E. Guigal
20th August 2007
I read all the time that Viognier is a highly fashionable grape. Perhaps it is, but not among anyone I know. When it is time to serve white wines, most of my friends still pour out oaky Chardonnays, citric Sauvignon Blancs and the occasional Pinot Grigio.
Nothing wrong with any of that, of course. But if you are looking for a change, Viognier is definitely a white to consider. Even if it is not quite as modish as we are told, winemakers throughout the New World have been adding it to their repertoire. There are successful versions from Australia and California, and I was recently offered one from Virginia. But the exemplar, as so often, remains French.
Condrieu, in the Rhône, is generally agreed to be the finest Viognier of all. It is priced accordingly: the 2005 vintage of Guigal’s basic version fetches around $40 in the US, £20 in the UK. Their other ranges cost a good deal more. What you get for your money is an intriguing, delicate white wine with an arrestingly flowery perfume. It is lightly acidulous, with a complex array of fruit and mineral flavours. Guigal’s version is aged in oak; this offends some purists, but I find it unobtrusive.
Condrieu makes an excellent aperitif, and would also go well with poultry or sea bass. It will make a pleasant surprise for guests expecting yet another Sauvignon Blanc, and may even provide them with a new subject of conversation. Unless, of course, they are students of fashion. If so, they will doubtless greet it with yawns of familiarity.
