If you’d like to know how aged Viognier tastes, then 2012 Condrieu Saint Cosme is a good start. Why?
Condrieu Story
Condrieu is undoubtedly the northern Rhône’s most distinctive wine appellation. Created in 1940, it covers white wines made exclusively from Viognier, unlike its more prominent neighbors (Saint-Joseph, Crôzes-Hermitage, and Côte Rôtie) focused on Syrah.
Condrieu’s whites gain the reputation for their balance between delicate perfume and a substantial body. They are produced only in tiny quantities and only in seven villages, one of which is Condrieu itself.
Condrieu vineyards lie within a short nine-mile stretch of the Rhône Valley along the Rhône River. The appellation got its name from a French phrase meaning’ corner of the stream’. They are typically placed on south- and south-east-facing steep granite slopes on the riverbanks allowing the vines to get the most sunlight on the cooler days of spring and autumn.
Many slopes are too steep for tractors, and grapes are harvested by hand, just as they were 2000 years ago when first grown here.
The combination of mixed chalk, flint, and mica soils and the dry, warm climate of the area creates a distinctive terroir responsible for the ripe, flavorful wine and mineral aromas of Condrieu wines.
So with all that magic, what did we taste?
Chateau de Saint Cosme Story
Chateau de Saint Cosme is one of the leading estates of Rhone Valley and has been in the hands of Louis Barruol’s family since 1570. While the Barruol family has been in charge of the estate for the last five centuries, Gallo-Roman vats carved into the limestone below the chateau indicated that wine has been made on the site of Saint Cosme since Roman times. Henri and Claude Barruol took over the estate in 1957 and gradually moved Saint Cosme away from the bulk wine business. Henri was one of the first in the region to work organically, beginning in the 1970s. Louis Barruol took over from his father in 1992, making a dramatic shift to quality, adding a négociant arm to the business in 1997, and converting to biodynamics in 2010.
Chateau de Saint Cosme Condrieu 2012
In the Bottle
In 2012, the Condrieu appellation benefited from the cooler weather in the northern Rhone. Unlike the typical season, it was possible to let the fruit hang until the end of September and harvest impeccably ripe grapes that had retained refreshing acidity. 2012 became a part of the succession of outstanding vintages. Some even call them Classic.
Saint Cosme Condrieu is a 100% Viognier from vineyard sites with granitic soils. The new wines were aged 20% new oak, 45% one-year-old, and 35% in two-year-old barrels for eight months.
After the malolactic fermentation, the wine was lightly filtered and bottled using gravity to preserve its authenticity and character.
Curious yet, how did it taste?
In the Glass
Saint Cosme Condrieu 2012 is hardly a wine that jumps from the glass. She’s like a conservatively dressed, sexy woman who requires time, patience, and quiet to appreciate her.
Muted at first, the aromas of quince, Opal apple sprinkled with orange juice, and limestone minerality slowly blossomed and intensified as the wine warmed up to 62°F.
Unlike typical Viognier that bursts with tropical fruit, Saint Cosme Condrieu was hardly fruity when we took the first sip. As she warmed up to us and showed her beauty, the flavors of quince jam followed by peach, baked apple, and lemon melted together with viscous oily-like texture creating a sophisticated palate that we rather enjoyed than analyzed.
Finish
We enjoyed this wine so much that it took an effort to analyze it and write down our impressions.
After being bottled up for a decade, the wine needed some time to open up. We also found that the best serving temperature was exactly 62°F. Yeah, imagine that. As we said before, this Viognier is like a demanding sexy woman who knows her worth and requires patience to enjoy her.
This wine is relatively expensive at $70, yet we felt that the joy experience we had far surpassed its price.
Pairing Saint Cosme Condrieu with Food
Some might say that Condrieu is difficult to pair with food because of its gentle nature that can be overpowered by food.
We think otherwise: Condrieu and gastronomy are excellent partners. Its aromatic spectrum can be an inspiration for creative foodies and connoisseurs.
It would pair well with lobster, Dungeness, blue claw crab, and some Japanese dishes. Another great option is Mediterranean seafood like red mullet, bouillabaisse, and shellfish.