Château le Devay Condrieu 2023
£56.45
The wine
Condrieu is Viognier's spiritual home, a tiny cru on the northern Rhône's steepest granite terraces. This is the grape at its most opulent and perfumed.
Heady aromas of apricot, peach, honeysuckle and violet. The palate is rich and viscous yet fresh, with ripe stone fruit, a mineral core and a long, aromatic finish. Viognier at its finest.
Superb with roast chicken, lobster or soft cheeses. Serve lightly chilled, not too cold, to show its full perfume.
The producer
Château le Devay
View all Château le Devay winesChâteau le Devay is a northern Rhône estate crafting wines from the steep, granite hills above the river between Vienne and Valence. It works with the region's two noble grapes, Viognier for the whites and Syrah for the reds. This is Rhône winemaking on a human, artisanal scale.
The vineyards range from the everyday Collines Rhodaniennes hills to the celebrated crus of Condrieu and Crozes-Hermitage. Granite and schist soils on sun-facing slopes give the wines their mineral drive and concentration. Steep terraces demand painstaking, often manual work.
In the cellar the approach is precise and respectful, letting each site speak. The Viogniers are perfumed and textured, the Syrahs peppery and pure. Oak is used with restraint, always in service of the fruit and the terroir.
From a fragrant Condrieu to a peppery Crozes-Hermitage, le Devay offers the northern Rhône in miniature. Perfumed, mineral and beautifully balanced, these are wines that capture the drama of the region's granite slopes.
