2022 Pierre Gaillard Condrieu Blanc L'Octroi, Northern Rhone

Yellow colour; the nose is buttery, has depth, comes with a hint of cooked lemon, aniseed that serve to bring freshness. The palate is agreeably fluid, with style in its richness, holds well, has a neat close. It’s cosy, and also elegant.

John Livingstone-Learmonth, Drink Rhône

Pierre Gaillard's top Condrieu comes from a single hectare of vines on a steep, sandy, granitic slope of Malleval (just south of Condrieu). In 2022, the vines here yielded just 30 hl/ha of pungent, tenderloin Viognier fruit, and the wine spent eight months in Allier and Nevers oak, of which just 5% was new. It is early days, but it already hints at the tell-tale characteristics of a top Gaillard Viognier: small white flowers, fragrant peach blossom, and a refreshing, controlled palate. It finishes with ample structure and an undercurrent of smoky, granite-laced minerality. Expect retrained power and finesse in equal measure.