2003 Condrieu Les Chaillées de l'Enfer
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Tasting notes
Also lively and fresh, the 2003 Condrieu Les Chaillees de l’Enfer gives up ample melon, tangerine and peachy notes that turn more floral and mineral with air. Medium to full-bodied, with surprising acidity and outstanding purity, it too is evolving gracefully. While I generally feel Condrieu show best in their first 3-5 years of life, all three of these efforts from Georges Vernay were stunning. They certainly make me open up my drink windows on these wines.
Critic scores
Average Score
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
Jeb Dunnuck, Wine Advocate
More reviews and scores
(assembled in advance of the December bottling) Considerably more stony aromas of apricot and peach flesh and pit, complicated by nutty, vanillin oak. Fat and lush in the mouth, but with more flavor complexity and floral lift than the Terrasses de l'Empire. Tactile but not aggressive on the back end, with a stronger impression of acidity and grip. I'd hold off on drinking this for a year or so.
About the producer
A legendary name, Domaine Georges Vernay crafts some of the finest whites in the world, having championed Condrieu when it was on the brink of extinction. The estate is best known for its single-site Coteau de Vernon Condrieu and is now in the hands of the third and fourth generation of the family.