A delightful wine from one of Condrieu’s top producers. Stéphane Montez’s family have been growing grapes in the Northern Rhône for ten generations and today have 23 hectares of prime vineyards in Condrieu, Côte Rôtie and Saint-Joseph. Like many people in the new order of Rhône winemaking, Stéphane believes in a reductive style of vinification in order to naturally extract and preserve all the fresh aromatics from his grapes. His winemaking style focuses on power, precision and structure achieved through temperature-controlled fermentations, careful extraction and the use of demi-muids across the range.
The Viognier grapes for Domaine du Monteillet, Condrieu Les Grandes Chaillées come from six parcels on superb terroirs in Chavanay, Saint Michel sur Rhône et Vérin. The Chaillées are the dry stone walls that support the terraced vines on the steep granite slopes.
Grapes are destemmed with 9 hours of skin contact before a gentle pressing and fermentation in oak barriques and demi-muids. Careful battonage and aging for 11 months in 75% 1 and 2 year old fûts and 25% in new French oak demi-muids without racking or adding sulphur.
The essence of Viognier; elegant, delicately perfumed, fresh and mineral with layers of flavour and complexity. Still young, this is still full of primary flavours of apricot, pear and acacia – a true taste of Viognier. This wine will continue to develop for at least 10 years and bring in wonderfully honeyed secondary flavours, more toastiness, deeper richness and viscosity.
