2009 Condrieu

Already in bottle, Tardieu’s 2009 Condrieu is sensational. Produced from two of the appellation’s greatest sites, Chanson and Chery, it offers a rare opulence, a full-bodied mouthfeel, abundant crushed rock minerality and terrific purity and length. Although this white wine is aged completely in wood, the wood component is pushed well to the background. This impressive wine should be drunk during its first 2-3 years of life. Michel Tardieu’s 2009 red Northern Rhone offerings still have a long wait in barrel before being bottled unfined and unfiltered. They all reveal deep colors as well as abundant concentration, structure and power. I thought the best cuvees were the Cornas, St.-Joseph, Crozes-Hermitage and Hermitage. The Hermitage and Cornas appear capable of 15 or more years of evolution, and the Crozes-Hermitage and St.-Joseph should last at least a decade. The Cote Rotie Vieilles Vignes exhibited great fruit, but it was not a sensational wine in comparison with the other efforts. Importer: Wilson-Daniels, St.-Helena, CA; tel. (707) 963-9661