2012 Condrieu
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Tasting notes
The 2012 Condrieu is still beautiful (reviewed last year), showing classic tangerine, honeyed citrus and flower blossom aromas and flavors. Pure, elegant and classically styled, with great acidity and good minerality, drink it over the coming couple or years.
Critic scores
Average Score
Jeb Dunnuck
Jancis Robinson MW
More reviews and scores
Aged eight months, one third in oak. Bursting with peach and apricot scent. For such a high volume producer, it’s great that this is so authentic. Has that slight flabbiness that the grape often displays. Rammed with flavour. (RH)
Pale gold. Pungently aromatic scents of dried pear, citrus zest, chamomile and violet, with a hint of anise in the background. Concentrated and lively on the palate, with tactile pear skin and Meyer lemon flavors given added power by deeper nectarine and honey qualities. Sharply delineated on the close, leaving chalky mineral and pit fruit nectar notes behind.
Philippe Guigal drinks 2011 currently – 'the sooner the better, though Doriane 2008 is still good'. (See my recent tasting note on an old half of regular 2008.) They have 15 ha of Condrieu in total (of which 11 ha go into their regular bottling). Bottled in June. At Vinexpo they welcome clients with the freshly-bottled latest vintage. Very heady. Medium intensity may blossom and salt. Not at all like varietal Viogniers in the south. One third new oak, rest in tank. Broad and a slight lack of acid. (JR)