Condrieu and Château-Grillet 2019: Report and top scoring wines
Matt Walls says 2019 wasn't a great overall vintage for Condrieu, however the best sites rose to the challenge of the year and produced a handful of delicious and balanced wines with saltiness and minerality.
With the extreme weather conditions in 2019, ‘you had to be very vigilant with the picking date,’ says Stéphane Ogier.
But it seems like most growers had to make an impossible choice this year in Condrieu, as sugar levels spiralled upwards while flavour ripeness lagged far behind.
Scroll down to see Matt’s top Condrieu and Château-Grillet 2019 tasting notes and scores
As a result, most of the Condrieus I tasted from 2019 fell into one of two camps. Some had underdeveloped grassy flavours, tarragon and lemon verbena, but were otherwise fresh and balanced.
The others had good depth and concentration, but were noticeably alcoholic, gloopy or had very low acidity. Both can be good in their own way; but this isn’t a great vintage for Condrieu.
There are a handful of really delicious wines, and it’s the riper styles that will deliver the most satisfaction, even if the alcohol levels are raised. The best sites really rose to the top, managing to balance the natural opulence of the year with saltiness and minerality.
Quick links Northern Rhone
Individual appellation analysis and top-scoring wines: coming soon
Saint-Joseph
Key producers in 2019
Château-Grillet
Clos de la Bonnette
Domaine François Merlin
Domaine de Monteillet
Cave Yves Cuilleron
Value picks
Domaine de Monteillet Condrieu ‘Les Grands Chaillées’ 2019
Mouton Père et Fils Condrieu ‘Côte Chatillon’ 2019
Pierre Gaillard Condrieu 2019
See Matt’s top Condrieu and Château-Grillet 2019 tasting notes and scores
See also
Rhône 2019 En Primeur: Full report plus top scoring winesNorthern Rhône 2019 report plus top scoring winesSouthern Rhône 2019 report plus top scoring wines
Château-Grillet, Château-Grillet, Rhône, France, 2019
A real burst of fresh apricot and peach, lemon verbena and green tea. Impressively full-bodied and round in the mouth, this has the real salt...
2019
Château-GrilletChâteau-Grillet
Stéphane Montez du Monteillet, La Grillette, Condrieu, Rhône, France, 2019
Stéphane Montez says the cuvée is called La Grillette because it always has 'grilled notes (grillé), and notes of violet (violette)'. However it does so...
2019
Stéphane Montez du MonteilletCondrieu
Château-Grillet, La Carthery, Château-Grillet, Rhône, France, 2019
Made from a few rows of Viognier in AOC Condrieu that are situated at the top of the Chateau-Grillet amphitheatre and owned until recently by...
2019
Château-GrilletChâteau-Grillet
Clos de la Bonnette, Légende Bonnetta, Condrieu, Rhône, France, 2019
There's freshness, depth and a richness of aroma here that many Condrieu lack in 2019. Very full-bodied and rich, but with enough acidity and freshness...
2019
Clos de la BonnetteCondrieu
Stéphane Montez du Monteillet, Chanson, Condrieu, Rhône, France, 2019
Remarkably good acidity and depth of fruit. Not quite as elegant as some years, but very good for the vintage. Very rich, round and opulent,...
2019
Stéphane Montez du MonteilletCondrieu
Stéphane Ogier, La Combe de Malleval, Condrieu, Rhône, France, 2019
Lemon verbena and apricot. Soft, juicy, with a touch of apricot skin to the green tea and white flowers. It's opulent but not massive, with...
2019
Stéphane OgierCondrieu
Domaine Jamet, Vernillon, Condrieu, Rhône, France, 2019
Now 100% matured in terracotta amphora, which brings 'a saline, mineral side' to the wines, says Loïc Jamet, especially in hot years. Straightness of character...
2019
Domaine JametCondrieu
Cave Yves Cuilleron, Lieu-dit Vernon, Condrieu, Rhône, France, 2019
The oak is quite upfront for now, but there's an intense salinity and freshness underneath. Long, straight, focussed, mineral expression. Long finish, good sense of...
2019
Cave Yves CuilleronCondrieu
Cave Yves Cuilleron, Lieu-dit Verlieu, Condrieu, Rhône, France, 2019
Very full-bodied indeed. Good intensity of fruit however, long, rich and succulent. The alcohol is on the high side, but they've made a good fist...
2019
Cave Yves CuilleronCondrieu
Stéphane Montez du Monteillet, Les Grands Chaillées, Condrieu, Rhône, France, 2019
Very broad, but great depth of fruit that's unusual for 2019. Sweetly rounded, and the alcohol is fairly high this year at 15%. Very rounded,...
2019
Stéphane Montez du MonteilletCondrieu
Domaine François Merlin, Jeanraude, Condrieu, Rhône, France, 2019
Heady banana and mango. Very rich, sweet fruit. Tastes like Juicy Fruit. Spicy oak on the palate. Plenty of ripe fruit and good depth, but...
2019
Domaine François MerlinCondrieu
Domaine François Merlin, Les Terroirs, Condrieu, Rhône, France, 2019
Not terribly expressive. Pear fruit and pear acidity. There is some interest and tension on the palate and a whisp of smoky reduction, bringing freshness....
2019
Domaine François MerlinCondrieu
Domaine Mouton, Côte Chatillon, Condrieu, Rhône, France, 2019
A touch of ripe banana to the gently musky exotic fruit, mango and peach. Very full-bodied, concentrated, very full and fat. Plenty of fruit, well...
2019
Domaine MoutonCondrieu
Pierre Gaillard, Condrieu, Rhône, France, 2019
Fresher than most on the nose, a touch of fresh banana and some fresh herbs, lemon verbena, lemon thyme, to the fruit. Full-bodied, but not...
2019
Pierre GaillardCondrieu
Tardieu-Laurent, Condrieu, Rhône, France, 2019
Very full-bodied, very rounded. There's good depth of flavour here, plenty of extract that gives a mouthwatering side to the fruit. Banana, apricot, a touch...
2019
Tardieu-LaurentCondrieu
Domaine Niero, Les Ravines, Condrieu, Rhône, France, 2019
Sugared almond, a touch of tobacco leaf. Very full-bodied, very opulent, but there's some balancing acidity here. Very rich and flowing on the finish, but...
2019
Domaine NieroCondrieu
