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Condrieu Les Chaillées de l'Enfer Georges Vernay 2016
13.5%
0.75L
Intensity
This powerful, intensely aromatic Condrieu reveals all its nobility after a decade of cellaring. A legendary cuvée which embodies the history of the estate and the philosophy of Georges Vernay.
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Lot presentation
Condrieu Les Chaillées de l'Enfer Georges Vernay 2016
The wine
Why give the cuvée this name? When walking through this parcel, the elders always exclaimed, ‘We’re in Hell!' Cultivating vines on these rugged steep granite slopes is indeed complicated and dangerous. Naturally, mechanisation is not possible. The vines are cultivated with the utmost care and treated with organic substances. The Viognier grapes are harvested by hand at peak ripeness. This is followed by a gentle pressing of whole harvest grapes, and fermentation of the clarified juices after static settling in 225-litre barrels for 4 to 5 weeks. The wine is then matured in barrels (25% new wood) on fine lees for 12 to 18 months, with stirring of the lees. This opulent, full-bodied wine exudes amazing aromatic power. While it already shows great potential when young, it is even more impressive after ten or so years in the cellar. It’s well worth being patient.
About the Producer Georges Vernay
“I liked the wines that came from the slopes, I found those from the plains very average”. These words of Georges Vernay sum up his contribution to Condrieu. Thanks to Georges, the abandoned, steep slopes here were given new life in the 1960s. In fact, this determined man had the genius intuition to cultivate vines on the “chaillées”, or terraces, aptly known as the “chaillées de l'enfer” (terraces from hell)! The history of this domaine goes back to 1938 when Francis Vernay planted his first hectare of Viognier. Georges Vernay joined in 1943 and expanded the domain by buying some parcels. He opened a tasting room that earned him a loyal English customer base. From 1943 to 2010, the domaine went from 1 to 22 hectares. Since his death in 2017, it has been his daughter Christine who has kept the family tradition alive. The vines are worked by hand and all chemical products are banned.
Detailed characteristics
Quantity: 1 bottle
Level 1 NormalObservation 1 Marginally marked labelOrigin: professional
Type of cellar: underground, natural cellar
Recoverable VAT: yes
Original wooden case / Original case: no
French customs seal: yes
Alcohol percentage: 13.5 %
Region: Rhone Valley
Appellation: Condrieu
Owner: Georges Vernay
Vintage: 2016
Colour: white
Service temperature: 14°
Size (in ha): 24 hectares
Volume: 100000 bottles
Intensity: rich
Leading aroma: candied fruit
Tasting occasion: food-friendly wine