This is a grape with a fabulous reputation in Condrieu, a tiny appellation in the Rhone Valley. Unfortunately in most other places around the world and in France itself attempts to reproduce a wine that has the same depth of flavour have been unsuccessful.

We believe that this wine is out of the box, and all who taste it agree.

As a variety Viognier does not grow well. It tends to overburden itself with many, many bunches on spindly little shoots with pale leaves giving every indication that it will do this last thing before expiring in disgust at an unappreciative world. That is a recipe for thin wine. Left to itself the plant produces an inconsequential drop. Tasting the wine you wonder what all the fuss is about.

So, we drop half the crop on the ground, hand pick it to exclude the botrytis, to which it is susceptible, and treat it to fermentation in Oak where the yeast has the best chance of consuming all the sugar. Without a great deal of grape flavour that could be cruel. If the ferment doesn’t finish properly we lose the plot. About one year in two or three we get it right, and we are working on improving our average.

Current Vintage: 2004