France: Domaine François Villard - Viognier, Les Contours de Deponcins 2023, Rhône Valley (Organic)

100% Viognier. Certified organic. 13% alcohol.

"Better than most Condrieu and if it had that magic word written on the label you would pay an awful lot more for it." Victoria Moore, The Daily Telegraph 

This 42-hectare domaine spans six areas of the Northern Rhône with 7.5 of these in Condrieu, a tiny appellation 42km south of Lyon dedicated solely to growing the one variety, Viognier (vee-o-nyay).

Vineyard work is carried out entirely by hand here, incredibly hard work due to Condrieu's steep slopes, while the domaine was certified organic in 2022. 

This wine is particularly noteworthy: firstly, it's made by François, widely regarded as one of Condrieu's greatest winemakers. With no family winemaking pedigree, this chef-turned-sommelier-turned-winemaker planted his first plots in 1989 and built his reputation entirely from scratch, without any formal schooling in winemaking. No mean feat!

Secondly, the great Deponcins vineyard from which this wine comes is within spitting distance of Condrieu but just outside the appellation limit, meaning it can't carry the Condrieu name. If it could, this wine would be at least twice the price (see Victoria Moore's note below). It is indeed superior to many wines carrying the Condrieu name. 

Viognier can easily be flabby (too low in acidity) and quality is hugely site-dependent. Outside of a few areas of the Rhône, it's often 'blousy' (overly opulent) - of course with exceptions - while it's very much down to the winemaker's skill, being a notoriously difficult variety to master: harvest timing is also crucial as the potential alcohol can quickly go through the roof. 

Villard has most certainly mastered it; this wine displays an exhilarating mineral tension yet alongside a textured depth of rich stone fruit. Villard's wines are listed in many of the world's top restaurants and given what's involved in making it, this wine represents great value in a fine wine context.

Food Pairing:

I would say this wine should really be drunk with food: creamy fish dishes, shellfish, or even mild Thai curry. Fabulous with Coquilles St-Jacques. Also works well with charcuterie. 

What the critics say

90/100 (average score) - Cellar Tracker - highlighting its character and freshness

"Better than most Condrieu and if it had that magic word written on the label you would pay an awful lot more for it." Victoria Moore, The Daily Telegraph