Christophe Pichon invites you to taste his Condrieu wine, from Diapason, Pur 100 or even Patience cuvée

Following our last winery review (read more here) about the family estate of Christophe Pichon, full of premium wines of the Rhône valley, we tend to highlight here their expertise in terms of Condrieu‘s appellation winemaking. Indeed, as president of the AOC Condrieu syndication, Christophe Pichon wished to continue the work of Georges Vernay so that Condrieu continues to be one of the most recognized white wines, throughout the world and that it remains present on the tables of the great starred restaurants. That’s why, we are glad here to introduce some of his most illustrious cuvées, so that you wouldn’t be disappointed by your glass, emanating from this domain. By AP

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Therefore, we kindly invite you to have a tour into the Christophe Pichon domain in Condrieu, settled in this right bank of the Rhône river, and he vinifies among the most prestigious appellations in this generous region. Indeed, the Domaine Christophe Pichon is mainly implemented over this rich Condrieu territory, but also in Côte Rôtie, Saint-Joseph and even Cornas appellations. Without missing that a production of white and red table wine completes his production, and not only, because this estate as well contributes into the revival of historical wines of Seyssuel.

For your information, the Christophe Pichon’s Domain had early decided to mature its Condrieu wines on barrels, which was rarely done in this region. This was made possible thanks to a personal tuition followed by Christophe Pichon in Davayé in Burgundy, that probably influenced his know-how. Another personal touch seems to be illustrated in his reasoned approach, with the motivation to cultivate responsibly his own vineyard.

 

 

Thus, here the plowing is done where it is possible, then a sexual confusion is employed for insects… On top of that, the harvest is exclusively manually operated, and the grapes sorting is done directly in the vineyard, before grains being crushed and mixed with much care (photo credits: Christophe Pichon). 

 

In this case, there should be no possibility of transmitting bad tastes. Thereafter, the process is always the same, by pressing the white grapes during 3 hours inside a pneumatic device, even for the Saint-Joseph appellation. Continuing on this green way, only indigenous yeasts are used, and a direct entonnage is settled for Condrieu, Saint-Joseph and local wines, in only few new barrels. After this, juice aging could last approximately between 10 and 12 months.

 

 

Over this large estate, anchored in the wide Rhône Valley, which currently covers 23ha, we can count 5.5 ha occupied in the locality of Condrieu, covering a granite soil and settled on hillsides with a southern exposure. The age of vines, extended from 20 and 45 years old, contribute to the development of a selection of that fine Condrieu appellation. In those terms, why don’t you opt for the Condrieu Patience 2018?

In fact, the absolute aromatic expression of this nectar conveys to a real sweet wine harvested by a complex and progressive explosion of notes of honey, almonds and yellow fruits. Perfect to match with foie gras but also explicit desserts.

 

 

Thereafter, if you are not into sulfites, we invite you to have a look at the Condrieu Pur 100 cuvée, imagined by Christophe Pichon. Full of Viognier essences. This elegant natural wine offers us some floral notes, candied yellow fruits and even a mint touch for an unforgettable cuvée. Illustrated with a photo of the 1920 harvest of the Pichon family, this 2020 vintage is mostly made from average vines of 35 years old, on a eastern hillside of granite soil, this juice has been aged in barrels, during almost 3 years old. The result is an orange robe, displaying intense ripe fruity and floral sensations, for a beautiful persistence in mouth, thanks to a lovely minerality. Ideal for oysters and aperitif.

In another hand, discover their other cuvée from Condrieu, named Diapason which comes from northern plots cultivated in Seyssuel. Here, the first millesime was issued in 2015 and the last one from 2021 promises a certain aromatic intensity. This vintage is fully composed of Viognier grape variety (from around 15 years old vines), extracted from 2020‘s manual harvest in crates, with a fermentation and aging in barrels during approximately 9 months. The small production of only 1500 bottles displays an explicit fragrance, so typical from Viognier, cultivated in the northern part of the Rhône Valley. Furthermore, this wine both conceals notes of peach and apricot, but also eventually violet and almond according to other ones. Plus, a subtle woodiness, able to bring a touch of complexity and minerality, ideal to pair with fishes, various gratins or just as an aperitif.

“The estate’s philosophy is to build wines on finesse and elegance… It was enough for our estate get oriented to vineyards from the left bank of the Rhône Valley… and find new inspiration” admits Christophe Pichon.

As another surprise, don’t miss the limited edition trio conveyed by the Condrieu 2021, aged in three different wooden barrels. Therefore, those wines were raised in acacia, chestnut, and oak woods, and sold in a gift box of 3 bottles of 50cl each, a good occasion to taste the inner flavors of those gastronomic woods that perfectly match with the expression from Condrieu. For instance, be ready to appreciate the orange blossom and white floral notes emanating from acacia tree, along hazelnut or almond plus some fresh minty accents for the expressive texture of the Chestnut version and even more fruity and spicy assets as apricot or peach for the elegant Oak bottle.

Fully made from Viognier grape variety, cultivated this time from vines from an average age of 35 years, you can be sure to get here a very exclusive selection to enjoy at some particular occasions.

Domaine Christophe Pichon, 3 Zone Viticole Jassoux, Le Grand Val, 42410 Chavanay (France) / Phone : 00 33 (0)4 74 87 06 78. More information on the official website.  

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