2016 Condrieu

Starting with the 2016 Condrieu, it offers a light gold color and fresh, straight, lively notes of citrus, tangerine, and crushed rock. Beautifully pure, it lacks the density and concentration of the 2015 yet shines for it classic style, purity, and terrific drinkability. Due to the timing of my visit (which was earlier than normal), I wasn’t able to taste a full lineup from Guigal. Nevertheless, even an abbreviated lineup from Guigal consists of more wines than just about every other producer I taste with. Looking at the 2016s, the white wines, especially from Condrieu, are brilliant and show the more fresh, vibrant style of this cooler, late vintage. The reds are very classic in style across the board. I’ll taste these again, mostly from barrel, next year as well, but this is certainly an excellent vintage. The 2015s, as I’ve written more than once now, are truly spectacular, and after tasting these wines multiple times from barrel now, I completely understand why Marcel Guigal would declare this the greatest vintage of his lifetime. These are rich, voluptuous, massive wines I think will represent a modern-day version of 1978. The 2014s continue to improve every time I taste them, which is common for this estate. Similar, perhaps, to a toned down 2012, these are charming, supple, elegant wines that are vastly more approachable than the 2013s. Lastly, the 2013s from bottle showed the backward, dark, mineral-laced profile of the vintage. They’re beautifully concentrated and terrific wines, yet the cellar is going to be your friend.

Guigal now bottles approximately 40% of the appellation’s total production, so it’s fortunate that the 2016 Condrieu is a fine ambassador for the region. One-third of this bottling sees new oak, while the rest goes into stainless steel. Some may quibble with the oak in an entry-level bottling, but I don’t find it excessive. The wine remains floral and fresh, with apricot and melon flavors that finish with modest spice notes and on a silky textural note. Drink it young.

2015 now all sold out. One-third new oak, two-thirds stainless steel. Exemplary peach and apricot aromas, thick and unctuous and perfumed on the finish. There's a very lovely fennel note giving complexity on the finish, and no excess oak here. Fairly low acid but enough to keep tension. One of the better Condrieus in 2016. (RH)