Gangloff Condrieu, 2018, 750ML

Feature

Tasting Note

Vinous 94-95, Josh Raynolds

Pale gold. Intense, mineral-accented scents of fresh pear, nectarine and violet are lifted by a bright citrus pith nuance. Silky and tightly focused on entry, then deeper in the midpalate, offering sappy orchard and pit fruit and Meyer lemon flavors and a hint of honeysuckle. Closes with impressive, mineral-tinged persistence, repeating florality and a repeating pear note.

Although the white wines here are made in painfully small quantity, Yves Gangloff has a soft spot for them. "It's my village, after all," he noted. The style at this address leans toward opulence, especially in 2018 and 2017 more than usual. The 2017s in particular, should be highly enjoyable in their youth while the 2018s, still pretty irresistible now, will likely have an edge when it comes to aging. In 2019 the fruit had higher acidity levels, Gangloff told me,
"even if the wines are also on the rich side as well."

Winemaking

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Winery

Considered a micro-domaine, Yves Gangloff’s wine is made with exceptional quality and in very limited production. Their cellar is located in the heart of Condrieu and the vines are located in Condrieu, Cote-Rotie, and St.-Joseph, all on steep hillsides that have to be worked and harvested entirely by hand, a labour-intensive process, but one which ensures that great attention is paid to the vines and fruit. 

His meticulousness doesn’t end there; in the cellar, he destems some, but not all of the crop, depending on the vintage. He uses only wild yeasts and manipulates the wine as little as possible. He vinifies wines in partly new oak. Maturation is done in small oak barrels, with a proportion new. 

He does not rack and uses minimal amounts of sulphur.