2018 Condrieu

Phillipe Guigal takes great pride in pointing out that “while very little white wine, relatively speaking, is made in the northern Rhône (only about seven percent of total production of the entire valley, north and south, is from white grapes) it represents almost 25% of the wines produced here.” The Côtes-du-Rhône blanc, which is based heavily on Viognier, delivers outstanding value and is widely available. Guigal’s white wines produced from fruit grown further south, in Hermitage, Crozes-Hermitage and Saint-Joseph emphasize energy and structure, while the Condrieus, especially the top-end La Doriane bottling, can be some of the most opulent examples of the appellation, especially in hot years.