Today we celebrate the storied career of one of France’s greatest cellar masters—with his single finest vintage, ever. When Yves Cuilleron bottled his first Condrieu in 1987, few guessed he would become this prestigious AOC’s most globally recognized ambassador.
Today, Yves is exactly that, and Cuilleron Condrieu is synonymous with Puligny-like luxury, exotic aromatics, and a sense of minerality and tension that stands out in the region. I’m confident that Cuilleron “first timers” will discover today’s wine to be unlike—and likely superior to—any Condrieu or Viognier-based wine they’ve ever tasted. Structured, balanced, and built for the table, it’s no wonder Cuilleron is the go-to choice for many top sommeliers. This is the Condrieu one drinks with lobster at The French Laundry, it’s a classic for blind tasting study, and it is my own personal favorite. Keep in mind that prices for equivalently renowned, appellation-defining whites from Burgundy (or just south in Hermitage) generally start at two to three times that of today’s gorgeous bottle. And while Cuilleron presides over three decades of consistently outstanding wine and gushing critical praise, he says 2015 is his master stroke. This is a superb and increasingly hard-to-acquire wine—don’t miss it!
There is no other wine that resembles Condrieu, one of the most intensely aromatic, richly textured whites on earth. In a magical vintage like 2015, the best Condrieu reaches truly ethereal heights—and if Cuilleron says this is his finest vintage ever, I won’t argue!
Condrieu is a tiny region of terraced, hillside vines situated just south of of Côte-Rôtie in the Northern Rhône Valley. While many wines in the appellation tend toward an overwrought (i.e. clumsily viscous and heavily oaked) style, Cuilleron always seems to hit the nail on the head with “La Petite Côte.” I should add that this wine has been featured on almost every wine list I have ever written because it offers genuine terroir and undeniable class at a relatively frugal price. In a region where availability is scarce and price tags exceed $200 per bottle, this wine is an archetype.
I first met Yves Cuilleron in 2007. At the time, I was living in Las Vegas while working as part of a team that had just opened an ambitious restaurant project. My colleagues and I were all starstruck when, one night, Yves came through the door with his close friends and fellow Northern Rhône superstars, Yves Gangloff and François Villard. This “dream team” enjoyed their evening together while I pulled corks from a variety of rare gems and, before leaving, they invited me to visit them in the Rhône. Less than one month later, I was on a plane to France. Visiting with Cuilleron was one of the highlights of a three-week trip. Yves opened 14 or 15 bottles dating back to his first vintages in the late 1980s ,and for the first time, my eyes opened widely to the impressive cellaring potential of Condrieu. This region is sometimes misunderstood as exclusively producing “young-drinking,” fruity wines, but that is only one facet of Condrieu’s appeal. After my visit, Yves sent sent me away with six of the opened wines, all of which improved for days after (a clear indication of their aging potential). So, take my word: If stored properly, Condrieu—especially from a top estate like Cuilleron—holds undeniable promise to improve for years in the cellar.
Today’s 2015 Condrieu “La Petite Côte” hails from the village of Chavanay, where Yves’ family property is located. Vines are situated on a steep, terraced hillside impassable to tractors, so all work in the vineyard is done by hand. Fruit is harvested manually as well, and fermentation takes place in small barrels of one to four years of age—there is no new oak used in the making of this wine. As it ages in neutral barrels, the wine stays in constant contact with the lees, which are stirred regularly. While there are no notable embellishments or “tricks” employed in the production of this wine, there is a stunning vividness and dimension to its fruit and texture. It’s a testament to the superlative quality of Yves’ farming, not to mention the skills he continues to acquire and refine across three decades of working this same hillside.
This is a special opportunity if you’ve never experienced a great Condrieu vintage in the hands of an elite winemaker. You can almost sink your teeth into the white peach, apricot, and herb-laced citrus fruit that overflows from the glass. Behind the first wave of primary fruit, things get more serious with wet stone, Provençal herbs, honeysuckle, and a strong core of minerality. On the palate, the wine is dense and full-bodied, with flavors of quince, Asian pear, raw honey, and acacia blossoms. This is an exquisite wine, one of the most balanced and table-ready in its class, with a lengthy, aromatic finish. If enjoying in the next year or two, serve between 55-60 degrees in large Burgundy stems. I can say from experience that pairing this beauty alongside lobster with drawn butter certainly won’t hurt! Take care not to over-refrigerate as a low service temperature will mute this wine’s delicate details. And, as I mentioned above, this is cellar-worthy wine: Yves says that, in addition to 2015 being his finest vintage (yet), it also has exceptional aging potential. In 10-12 years, this wine’s direct fruit and youthfully angular design will have coalesced into a luscious and far-more-exotic expression of white mushrooms, truffles, beeswax, white tea and dried flowers. Ever since my visit in 2007, I keep a stash of aged Condrieu. These wines are a thrill to drink when mature and you’ll revel in the lighthearted schadenfreude of stumping even the most skilled blind tasters in your circle. Cheers!
