In 1961, when Philippe Pichon started farming, wine wasn't fashionable—fruit and vegetables paid the bills. But Philippe remembered running through his grandfather's vine rows as a child, and when the government expropriated riverside farmland in the 1970s, he saw opportunity where others saw only abandoned hillsides.

Armed with shovels and picks, Philippe cleared overgrown terraces around Condrieu, rebuilt centuries-old dry-stone walls, and planted vines on slopes everyone else had written off. His son Christophe—who used to call in sick from school to help with harvest—joined the estate in 1987 and took over in 2000.

Today, Christophe and his son Corentin craft wines that honor this hard-won terroir. Their Condrieu comes from 45-year old vines on south and southeast-facing terraces. The soil here is incredibly scant: 20-30 inches deep, overlaying fractured granite, so the vines truly struggle to find water in the summer. They hand-harvest these tiny, gorgeous golden Viognier bunches, age them in tank and neutral barrels between 9 and 10 months, and then release the wine. The 2023 vintage bowled us over when we tasted it on our swing through the Rhône last year. Pichon's meticulous viticulture—including massive draft horses that he uses to plow rows that could never fit a tractor—made for a Viognier that fully delivers on this AOC’s promise.

Why You'll Love It

• MICROSCOPIC Production: Less than 500 cases were produced, a tinier fraction still ever leaves France. We direct-imported our allocation to save you real money on this collectible Condrieu. Condrieu is one of France’s greatest appellations for white wine, and most of them sell for over $80. This microproduction, artisan Condrieu is just over half that, thanks to our direct import  program.
  

• 3 Generations of WORK: From Philippe's pioneering restoration of abandoned hillsides to Christophe's sustainable farming, to Corentin's precision winemaking, this bottle contains 60+ years of family dedication.
  

• The 2023 Vintage: Galloni called this vintage “lively, fresh, and expressive.” This harvest delivered everything you want to experience the aromatic abandon that Viognier achieves in Condrieu: lively, herby, fresh stone fruit aromas dominate, overlaying a full body and rich, unctuous texture. This is a wine for gastronomes. 

How to Serve It

• Serve at 55-59°F in large white wine stems to let this wine unfurl its gorgeous stone fruit, verbena, and rose aromas.
  

• Drink now through next year. Capture the beauty of Condrieu in its youth.

• Scallop crudo, gulf shrimp fritto misto, or even a composed salad of dungeness crab, avocado, and smoked steelhead would be heaven with this wine.