Maison Les Alexandrins Condrieu White 2020
Description
A partnership between three winegrowers from the Rhône Valley – Nicolas Jaboulet, Guillaume Sorrel and Alexandre Caso – Maison les Alexandrins produces northern wines in a style at once contemporary and timeless, always from exceptional vineyards unearthed by Alexandre Caso, a specialist in the terroirs of the northern Rhône Valley. Classics with a twist, these wines and how they are aged and blended are guided by the quest for perfect harmony from a very young age. Comes from vines located in Condrieu and Limony.
Terroir
Here the parent rock is granite. The topsoil varies between decomposing granite and loess. This soil is perfectly suited to the Viognier grape variety and the vines, planted in terraces, are constantly bathed in sunshine.
The vintage
After the hail damage of 2019, we had to nurse our vineyards back to health with a range of gentle but complementary nutrients. This made 2020 a technically exacting year, especially since the weather reserved many surprises for us. Spring was extraordinarily hot and dry and, despite a short break in June when some welcome rain fell, summer saw a continuation of drought conditions right up until the harvest. With a high risk of mildew at the start of the season, constant and unpredictable winds, powdery mildew half way through the season and the threat of high temperatures and scorching, we were spared nothing, and it required a major effort to cope. Fortunately, the occasional shower, fairly cool nights and morning dew meant the vines did not suffer too much from the summer heat, and all our hard work seems to have paid off with the promise of a fine vintage. To avoid the hottest moments of the day, we began picking from 6 am so as to pick the grapes while they were cool. We began with the whites on August 19 and continued with the reds through until September 16. First tastings revealed aromatic wines of great freshness, with degrees rarely exceeding 13.5°. After so many twists and turns, it is a vintage that reverts to origin in a very “Northern Rhône” style, after the mediterranean vintages of 2018 and 2019.
Location
An Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée in the northern Rhône Valley since 1940, the Condrieu vineyard lies at the northernmost part of the Rhône Valley, on the right bank of the river, between the Côte-Rôtie and Saint-Joseph appellations. Its white wines are made exclusively from the Viognier grape variety, whose earliest vines were first grown in Roman times.
Process
- Vinification partly in tanks and partly in 225-litre barrels.
- Matured on fine lees for 8 months.
Varietal
Viognier : 100%
Tasting
This Condrieu is marked by the freshness of its vintage. On the nose, it reveals a subtle aromatic bouquet with aromas of white peaches and garden roses. In the mouth, we find the exotic style of Viognier but all in restraint and without exuberance, sublimated by the granite terroir which gives it a nice balance and tension. To be enjoyed over the next 5 years.
Food pairings
This wine is perfect as an aperitif served with a prawn platter.
Serving
Serve between 11°C and 12°C. Drink within the next 5 years.
Reviews
93/100
"Plenty of peach, exotic spices, pineapple, and white flower notes emerge from the 2020 Condrieu. Medium gold-hued, medium-bodied, incredibly pure, and just as classy as they come, it's well worth seeking out."
Jeb Dunnuck - 2022