Château De La Gardine, Brunel de la Gardine Condrieu, 2021
Château De La Gardine, Brunel de la Gardine Condrieu, 2021
- 75cl
- 13%
- White Still
- Viognier
- Organic
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Optimal drinking window: 2026 - 2029
Brunel De La Gardine’s Condrieu shimmers gold in the glass, with generous aromas of apricot, peach and quince lifted by hints of violet, honey and warm spice. Rich yet poised, it glides across the palate with silky balance and a gently brioche finish.
Condrieu, birthplace of Viognier, clings to the vertiginous slopes of the northern Rhône (so steep that tending the vines borders on heroic). Once nearly lost to history, the appellation now flourishes again, producing some of the world’s most seductive white wines - this one a particularly elegant example.
At five years old, this 2021 Condrieu is in a sweet spot where primary stone fruit is still vivid and the floral character is at its most expressive. Drink it over the next two to three years to catch it at its best. Viognier is not a natural ager, and most Condrieu rewards drinking in its youth rather than patience. Enjoy it now, with food, with attention.
Tasting Notes
AppearanceDeep shimmering gold with a viscous rim that moves slowly around the glass.
NoseRipe apricot and white peach come first, confident and generous, followed by violet and acacia blossom. Underneath there is warm baking spice and a thread of honeycomb that adds depth without sweetness.
PalateFull and rounded but not heavy, with the stone fruit carrying through cleanly on a silky mid-palate. There is good acidity holding everything in place, which is exactly what you want from a Condrieu that doesn't want to feel like dessert. A gentle nuttiness develops toward the back of the palate.
FinishLong and warming, with a faint brioche quality and lingering floral lift that keeps you reaching for another sip.
Overall impressionA textbook Condrieu that wears its richness lightly — generous, aromatic, and ready now.
Food Pairings
In the northern Rhône, Condrieu has historically been matched with the region's freshwater fish — pike quenelles in a cream sauce is the classic pairing, and it remains hard to beat. Locals also serve it alongside pan-fried foie gras, where the wine's weight and stone fruit meet the richness of the liver without overpowering it. Roast chicken with tarragon and butter is a simpler but equally satisfying companion. A ripe, washed-rind cheese from nearby — something like Saint-Marcellin served slightly runny — is the kind of indulgent match that makes a lot of sense on a warm evening.
We think this wine would go well with
Serve at around 12-13°C — cold enough to keep the aromatics precise but not so cold that the wine closes up. No need to decant, though 15-20 minutes in a large Burgundy-style glass will let it open out considerably. That wider bowl is worth the effort: Viognier gives up its florality reluctantly in a narrow glass.
Condrieu's vineyards cling to steep granite slopes above the Rhône, south of Vienne, where thin, decomposed granite soils drain freely and force the vines to work hard for their water. The aspect is predominantly south to southeast, capturing maximum sunshine on slopes that would be impractical to farm anywhere else in the world. This combination of poor soils, steep gradients, and continental heat gives Condrieu Viognier its characteristic richness without losing aromatic lift. The granite also brings a mineral undercurrent that stops the wine from feeling simply opulent.
Condrieu is a tiny AC of fewer than 200 hectares, entirely devoted to white wine made from Viognier — no blending permitted, no red grapes, no exceptions. It sits in the northern Rhône between Côte-Rôtie to the north and Saint-Joseph to the south, and it was very nearly lost entirely in the mid-twentieth century when barely a dozen hectares remained under vine. The appellation's revival is one of the Rhône's great stories, and it now produces some of the most distinctive and sought-after white wine in France. Compared to its neighbours — the Syrah-dominated reds of Côte-Rôtie and Cornas — Condrieu is an outlier in style, unapologetically aromatic and structured by stone fruit and florality rather than tannin.
The 2021 Rhône had drama written all over it from the start. Spring frost knocked back yields across the valley, followed by a wet summer that kept growers on edge about disease pressure. When September finally arrived with warm, dry weather, those who'd managed their vineyards carefully through the challenging months found themselves with concentrated, healthy fruit that ripened beautifully in the sunshine.
What emerged defied the difficult growing season: wines with real energy and freshness, particularly impressive in the Northern Rhône where Syrah shows lovely spice and pepper alongside its dark fruit. The Southern Rhône produced Châteauneuf-du-Papes and Côtes du Rhônes with more restraint than the blockbuster years, but we rather like that - there's a liveliness here that makes them brilliant with food. The reds are drinking well now and will continue to develop until 2030 or beyond for the best cuvées, while the whites - often overlooked but particularly successful this year - are singing right now.
FAQs
What does this Condrieu taste like?
Rich and aromatic, with ripe apricot, white peach, acacia blossom, and a warm spice character that comes from the Viognier grape rather than oak. The texture is silky and generous, with enough acidity to keep it lively and a long, faintly nutty finish.
When should I drink it?
It is drinking well now and will remain at its best until around 2029. Condrieu is built for pleasure in relative youth rather than long cellaring, so there is no advantage in waiting.
What food works best with this wine?
This has the weight to handle rich dishes: pike quenelles in cream sauce is the regional classic, but roast chicken with tarragon, pan-seared foie gras, or a ripe Saint-Marcellin cheese all work beautifully. Avoid very delicate dishes that would be overwhelmed by the wine's personality.
How should I serve it?
Serve at around 12-13°C in a large, wide-bowled glass — a Burgundy-style glass is ideal. Viognier gives up its floral aromas slowly in a narrow glass, and the wider bowl makes a real difference. No need to decant, but give it 15-20 minutes in the glass before you start.
Is Condrieu worth the price compared to other white Rhône wines?
Condrieu is unashamedly expensive for a white wine, and it divides opinion. But nothing else tastes quite like it — the combination of Viognier's stone fruit and florality with the granite slopes of the northern Rhône produces a genuinely singular wine. If you want a richer, more neutral style, a white Saint-Joseph or white Crozes-Hermitage will cost less. But they are not the same thing.
Who makes Brunel de la Gardine?
This is a northern Rhône label from the Brunel family, the same family behind Château de la Gardine, one of Châteauneuf-du-Pape's established estates. Their Condrieu is made with the same care applied to their more famous southern Rhône wines.
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