Guigal Condrieu 2004

An audacious wine, the 2004 Guigal Condrieu embodies all the flamboyant charm and unique qualities that make Condrieu the world’s most beguiling Viognier. For starters, the bouquet is haunting. In fact, it is so entrancing that one could almost forget to drink the wine. Initially, the scent of the 2004 Guigal Condrieu, with a perfume reminiscent of ambrosia that is infused with jasmine and spring flowers, wafts from the glass and tantalizes the nose. With a little additional aeration, an aroma resplendent with apricot and oriental spices emerges from this heady concoction, so much so that one could easily mistake this classic Condrieu for a sweet wine. Don’t be fooled. The 2004 Guigal Condrieu is no fruit bomb or wilting violet. Rather, it is dry white wine with a taste of exotica; it is pure hedonism in a glass. It is also one heady extroverted white wine that packs a wallop to complement its great spicy mid palate and bone-dry exit. Moreover, this wine unfolds in the glass like a fine red wine, so be patient. Long and refreshing on the finish, this racy, one of a kind Condrieu is nothing short of a tour de force in white wine making. We suggest serving the 2004 Guigal Condrieu only moderately chilled, allowing it to breathe ten to fifteen minutes in the glass like a red wine before imbibing. Salut!

No other still white wine makes a bolder statement or captivates its audience quite like fine Condrieu. For this reason, we believe the 2004 Guigal Condrieu provides the ultimate pleasure as an aperitif. It shines on its own. Nevertheless, it possesses the ability to complement many foods, especially starters. Hors d’oeuvres, smoked salmon, onion and leek tarts, and traditional Alsace style quiches constitute some of our favorite pairings with Guigal’s Condrieu. Coquilles St. Jacques and other cream or cheese based dishes with scallops provide considerable pleasure as well. Meanwhile, true cheese aficionados will find several well-selected cheeses to be the only accompaniment they desire with Guigal’s masterful Condrieu. A veritable St. André from France or an authentic Dutch Edam gets our nod. Bon appétit!

Marcel Guigal has done it again. With his latest release of Condrieu, the world’s finest Viognier and one of France’s most revered white wines from the tiny Rhône appellation of the same name, Guigal has cemented his fame as one of the greatest producers of both red and white wines. It is no wonder then that Marcel Guigal has been called everything from “the man with the Midas touch” to “the planet’s greatest living winemaker.” Unquestionably, Guigal has earned the reputation for fashioning some of southern France’s most compelling wines, as the flood of favorable reviews and critical acclaims of his wines will attest. Yet, perhaps, even more impressive is Guigal’s knack for consistency. Without fail, Guigal wines, red, white and even rosé, are all at the top of the charts in both good years and bad. Moreover, each of Guigal’s many fine wines has become the yardstick by which all others are judged in their respective appellations. From the antique village of Ampuis, the birthplace of the great Côte-Rotie appellation, the burgeoning wine empire of Guigal has spread to every significant appellation in the Rhône Valley. Led by Marcel and his adept son and protégé, Philippe, the Guigals have sown success and quality far and wide, and in the process forced less quality minded producers to improve their wines or perish. Most notable of Guigal’s wines are the firm’s several Côte-Rotie offerings, which are universally acknowledged to be the supreme examples from this ancient 2, 400 year old vineyard that dates back to early Roman times. On qualitative par with this estate’s Côte-Rotie are several Condrieu offerings made from the finicky but other worldly white grape variety Viognier. There is also an excellent red Hermitage from Guigal, a wine that is certainly one of the deepest and longest-lived expressions of the Syrah grape. In a similar full-bodied, personality filled style are Guigal’s newest stars: a Crozes-Hermitage Rouge and a Crozes-Hermitage Blanc, both of which are already the standard by which all other Crozes-Hermitage wines are measured, and Guigal has only produced Crozes- Hermitage since 1999. Last but not least are the firm’s delicious Côtes du Rhone offerings – red, white, and rosé. The red Côtes du Rhone contains a high percentage of old vine Syrah, while the white sports a similar amount of Viognier, a practice few other producers would even think to emulate. Yet, it is just such practices that set Guigal apart. The key to Guigal’s success has always been quite simple. He cultivates his own vineyards organically with no chemical fertilizers or treatments and picks his grapes late when they are just about ready to explode with their own maturity. This late harvest, coupled with low yields and minimal intervention (including no filtration) gives birth to fragrant, round, ripe natural wines that are immensely pleasurable to drink. When purchasing juice from other producers, a practice that has helped Guigal augment his own estate holdings and hone his extraordinary winemaking skills, Guigal holds those growers to the same exacting standards he sets in his own vineyard. He buys only from producers he knows well who subscribe to his philosophy that old vines, low yields, and a late harvest are prerequisites for producing excellent wine. And, if these exacting requirements are not enough to insure quality, Guigal adds traditional wine ageing in new oak for extended periods of time. In short, Guigal leaves nothing to chance and is willing go the limit, both in the vineyard and in the winery. Bravo!