2009 E. Guigal Condrieu La Doriane
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Another insanely good Condrieu is the light gold-colored 2009 Condrieu la Doriane. A bigger, richer, more flamboyant and sexy wine than the 2010, it offers thrilling notes of tangerines, white peach, flowers and brioche in a full-bodied, fat, unctuous, yet never heavy package. It doesn’t have the minerality and precision of the 2010, but it packs a crazy amount of fruit and texture, and is just a joy to drink.
Critic scores
Jancis Robinson MW
Jeb Dunnuck
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Another riveting example of this cuvee, the 2009 E. Guigal Condrieu La Doriane is an incredibly aromatic white that boasts honeyed peach, apricot, spice, and floral aromas, with an intense, liquid mineral like quality that you find in very few places outside of Condrieu. Full bodied on the palate, with a thick, rich texture, brilliant acidity, and a classic, very long, and focused finish, this top notch white should perform superbly for 3-5 years, if not longer.
Light yellow. Musky aromas of casaba melon, lime pith and candied ginger, with slow-building smokiness. Sappy, dense and mineral-driven, at once opulent and tightly focused, with lovely spicy lift contributing energy to its deep honeydew and orchard fruit flavors. The minerality drives a long, spicy, impressively powerful finish.
Also bottled June 2010. Since 1994 this has been a blend of the lieux dits Côte Chatillon (one hectare) and Colombiers (also one hectare); he later added one hectare of Ch de Volon and since 2009, half a hectare of Côte de Chéry. 16,000 bottles in total. More low key on the nose than I remember, perhaps partly because of their fear of making something over the top. Really tastes quite rich, almost sweet, but there is lots of savour underneath and a hint of ginger among the May blossom, but no apricots! Big and bony but more structure and less obvious exuberant perfume than earlier vintages. (JR)