2005 Condrieu

Finishing touches were being made to Guigal's massive new cuverie on the route nationale, across the street from the original facility, when I visited in November. With a stainless-steel tank capacity of 25,700 hectoliters and a cellar that's literally the size of an American football field, the Guigals have realized their dream of having all of their wines under their own watch in Ampuis. I might have to bring a bicycle next year to get around the cellar. White wines are a very big deal here:Guigal makes almost 45% of all Condrieu, and Philippe Guigal is very high on the 2005 vintage. "The wines are more crisp, more mineral and more floral than the 2004s," he told me, "and 2004 is an outstanding vintage. "I also tasted samples of the 2005 single-site Cote-Roties and they are, predictably, to die for; Guigal did not present the '04s as he felt they were in a particularly awkward stage of their evolution in barrel.