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Kevin's comments: From 40 year old vines grown on granite slopes. Maturation in cask on fine lees gives a wine with a full flavour, while retaining the fresh fruit characters so characteristic of top Viognier. Beautifully textured and complex.
DOMAINE GEORGES VERNAY, NORTHERN RHONE
Georges Vernay is known as the King of Condrieu and was responsible for the growth and worldwide recognition of this small appellation during the 1950s.
His estate covers 16 hectares of vineyards, 3 of which are in the Côte Rotie appellation. The steep and uneven vineyards make mechanical labour impossible. The vines are manually propagated without the use of residual herbicide or insecticide.
George's youngest son Luc ran the winery after his father went into semi-retirement, but recently left to set up a flying school, while the oldest son is rehabilitating racehorses in Texas. George's daughter, Christine, returned to her roots with Paul Anselem, her Parisian husband, and has looked after the winemaking since 1997.
CONDRIEU LES CHAILLEES DE L'ENFER
Grapes: 100% Estate grown Viognier. The vineyards cover 2 hectares of very steep hillside vineyards with a south-south east facing where the soil is of granite origin.
Age of 40 years old Planting Density: 8,000 to 10,000 vines per hectare
Vines:
Yield: 22 HL per Hectare Annual Production: 5,000 to 6,000 bottles
Pruning: Guyot Root Stock: 110 Richter
Harvest: By hand as the very steep vineyards make mechanical harvesting impossible.
No herbicide or insecticide are used.
Fermentation: Fermentation of the must after static decanting of the wine in temperature controlled
225L casks for 3-4 weeks. The wine is matured in cask on its fine lees and bottled after 1 year from vintage.
Taste: Maturation is cask on fine lees gives a wine with a full flavour while retaining the fresh fruit characters typical of a fine Viognier. Will age for upto 10 years from vintage.
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