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Condrieu is a small but very distinctive white-wine appellation of the northern Rhone, covering the communes of Limony, Chavanay, Malleval, Saint-Michel-sur-Rhone, Saint-Pierre-de-Bœuf and Verin. The wines produced here are made exclusively from the Viognier grape, which brings an unusual balance between delicate perfume and substantial body. It is arguable that the wines of Condrieu are a principal cause of rising popularity for the Viognier variety, particularly in countries such as Australia, New Zealand and Chile. The characterful wines have been increasingly popular since the 1970s and are finding an identity in drier styles, rather than the sweeter styles that were once the norm.
In response to the move in consumer preferences towards drier wines, the phrase Selection des Grains Nobles may be used as an appendix to AOC Condrieu on sweet-wine labels. The aim of this change is to bring greater clarity to consumers regarding wine styles and to return an element of exclusivity to the appellation's sweet wines. Wines claiming the appellation title AOC Condrieu Selection des Grains Nobles must be produced from grapes harvested in multiple passes through the vineyard (known as tries successives in French), beginning no earlier than eight days after the standard harvest. Cryoextraction and chaptalization are prohibited, although the rules do not prohibit passerillage sur souche – the process of leaving grapes on the vines to dry them out and concentrate their natural sugars and flavors.
The Condrieu vineyards are located on a winding section of the Rhone river (the name is actually from a French phrase meaning 'corner of the stream') and are characterized by south- and south-east facing granite slopes rising up steeply from the riverbanks. This orientation enables the vines to obtain maximum warmth and sunlight in the cooler days of spring and autumn, resulting in ripe, flavorful wines. Many of these slopes are far too steep to be harvested by modern machines and are thus picked by hand, as they were when grapes were first grown here about 2000 years ago. The best of these slopes have a topsoil consisting of mixed chalk, flint and mica, which goes some way to explaining the mineral notes that characterize the best Condrieu wines. The combination of these soils and the dry, warm climate of the area creates a valuable and distinctive terroir.
One drawback of these vineyard sites is that they are particularly exposed to the strong north winds that move up the Rhone, inflicting significant damage to crops during the flowering period. The average yield here is famously low, which makes Condrieu wines not only rare but also relatively expensive to produce. Those producers who are able to make quality wines in the style of AOC Condrieu but do not have vineyards on the very restricted areas stipulated by the AOC law must produce wines under less-prestigious Vin de Pays (VDP) categories.
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