The 2023 E. Guigal Condrieu is a beautifully expressive and luxurious example of Viognier from one of the Rhône Valley’s most respected producers. Sourced from steep, terraced vineyards around Condrieu, where vines grow on granite and sandy soils, this wine captures the variety’s signature combination of fragrant stone fruit, floral perfume and rich, silky texture. Guigal ferments and matures the wine partly in new French oak and partly in stainless steel, balancing creamy complexity with freshness and purity. The 2023 vintage has been widely praised for its generous fruit, elegance and beautifully integrated oak.
The bouquet is intensely aromatic and inviting, opening with notes of ripe apricot, white peach and juicy pear, layered with honeysuckle, violet and orange blossom. As the wine opens, hints of sweet lemon, almond cream, acacia honey and delicate spice emerge, together with subtle notes of toasted oak and warm pastry. The aromatic profile is rich and exotic without becoming heavy, showing the unmistakable floral character that makes Condrieu one of the world’s most distinctive white wines.
On the palate, it is full-bodied, rounded and silky, with generous flavours of ripe peach, apricot, preserved citrus and yellow apple. A creamy, almost velvety texture is balanced by fresh acidity and a subtle herbal edge, giving the wine lift and definition. Gentle oak contributes notes of almond, vanilla and toast without overwhelming the fruit. The finish is long, harmonious and delicately mineral, lingering with stone fruit, white flowers, citrus zest and a faint savoury bitterness.
Ben’s Recommendation:
At Wine More Cellars, the 2023 E. Guigal Condrieu is an excellent choice for customers seeking a rich, aromatic and genuinely luxurious white wine. Compared with Chardonnay, it is more floral and perfumed, with softer acidity and a more exotic stone-fruit character. Compared with the La Crema Kelli Ann Chardonnay, the Guigal is less overtly buttery and more fragrant, while retaining a similarly generous texture. It is drinking beautifully now and should continue to develop through 2029–2031, gaining more honeyed, nutty and savoury complexity. It pairs beautifully with butter-poached lobster, seared scallops, roast chicken, prawn risotto, creamy seafood dishes, mild Thai curry, foie gras or creamy blue cheese.
