Château De La Gardine, Brunel de la Gardine Condrieu, 2024
Château De La Gardine, Brunel de la Gardine Condrieu, 2024
- White Still
- 75.0cl
- 13.5%
- Organic
- Vegetarian
- Vegan
- Viognier
Condrieu is Viognier's spiritual home, and La Gardine's bottling under the Brunel family's second-label range is a very fine introduction to what all the fuss is about. Grown on the steep, granitic slopes above the Rhône, this 2024 has the hallmark richness of the grape — that heady, almost extravagant floral perfume, ripe stone fruit, and white pepper — but it's kept honest by a characteristic stony mineral edge that stops it tipping into indulgence.
Viognier without that tension can feel like too much of a good thing. This one doesn't. It's full-bodied and generous, but there's a freshness running through it that makes you want another glass rather than a rest.
- ❖ ABV: 13.5%
Grapes
Viognier
Vintage report
The 2024 growing season in the Southern Rhône was marked by an unusually wet spring, which built good water reserves but also kept growers busy managing disease pressure — mildew in particular was a real headache across the region. Summer brought the heat the south is known for, though without the brutal, desiccating extremes that have plagued recent vintages. That more measured warmth, combined with a dry, well-timed harvest window, allowed growers who had done the hard work in the vineyard to pick fruit with excellent natural balance between ripeness and freshness.
The result is a vintage of genuine charm — Grenache, the engine of Châteauneuf-du-Pape and Gigondas alike, produced wines with real fruit concentration and enough acidity to give them shape and lift rather than the jammy weight that warmer years can bring. Mourvèdre added structure where yields were kept sensible. It is early days, and the very best wines will reward patience, but there is plenty here that is already drinking well — approachable without being simple, which is exactly what you want from a good Southern Rhône year.
Tasting Notes
AppearanceBright, pale gold with a faint green rim and good viscosity in the glass.
NoseViognier in full voice: white peach, apricot kernel, and honeysuckle, with a dusting of white pepper and a cool, flinty undercurrent that keeps things grounded. The floral lift is present but not showy.
PalateFull and rounded in body, with ripe stone fruit and a waxy, almost lanolin texture that is very much the grape's signature. The acidity is gentle but present, and there's a granite-edged mineral streak that runs through to the back palate and prevents the richness from dominating.
FinishLong and quietly stony, with dried apricot and white pepper lingering past the initial fruit.
Overall impressionA textbook Condrieu that understands restraint is not the enemy of generosity.
Food Pairings
Along the northern Rhône, this style of Condrieu would classically be paired with quenelles de brochet — pike dumplings in a rich, creamy sauce — a dish that demands something with equal body and doesn't flinch. Locally caught river fish with a beurre blanc or cream reduction is another natural partner. Roasted langoustines with tarragon butter work beautifully, and a simple dish of local goat's cheese with walnut bread and honey would let the wine's floral and mineral sides speak for themselves. If you want meat, think veal in a cream sauce rather than anything too robust or red-sauced.
We think this wine would go well with
Serve at 12-13°C — cold enough to keep it fresh, but not so cold that the aromatics shut down, which is a real risk with Viognier. No need to decant; just pour and give it five minutes in the glass to open up. A wide-bowled white wine glass will do the aromatic profile full justice, giving the honeysuckle and stone fruit room to breathe.
Condrieu's vineyards cling to granite and gneiss slopes above the town of Condrieu on the northern Rhône's right bank, some of the steepest and most labour-intensive in France. The decomposed granite soils drain quickly, stress the vines just enough to concentrate flavour, and lend the wines their distinctive mineral tension. The continental climate here, moderated by altitude and the river, preserves the acidity that gives Viognier its backbone. Without these specific conditions, the grape is prone to flabbiness — here, it finds its footing.
Condrieu is one of the northern Rhône's most singular appellations, covering just 150 hectares on the steep right bank south of Vienne. It is exclusively white, exclusively Viognier, and the combination of that grape on granite soils produces something found almost nowhere else: profound floral richness with genuine mineral structure. It sits just south of Côte-Rôtie and shares the same dramatic slope culture, but where Côte-Rôtie is about Syrah and longevity, Condrieu is about aromatic immediacy and texture. The best examples age surprisingly well, but this is not a region that rewards keeping indefinitely.
The 2024 growing season in the Southern Rhône was marked by an unusually wet spring, which built good water reserves but also kept growers busy managing disease pressure — mildew in particular was a real headache across the region. Summer brought the heat the south is known for, though without the brutal, desiccating extremes that have plagued recent vintages. That more measured warmth, combined with a dry, well-timed harvest window, allowed growers who had done the hard work in the vineyard to pick fruit with excellent natural balance between ripeness and freshness.
The result is a vintage of genuine charm — Grenache, the engine of Châteauneuf-du-Pape and Gigondas alike, produced wines with real fruit concentration and enough acidity to give them shape and lift rather than the jammy weight that warmer years can bring. Mourvèdre added structure where yields were kept sensible. It is early days, and the very best wines will reward patience, but there is plenty here that is already drinking well — approachable without being simple, which is exactly what you want from a good Southern Rhône year.
FAQs
What does this Condrieu taste like?
Rich and aromatic, as Viognier from this appellation should be — white peach, apricot, honeysuckle, and white pepper — but with a stony, mineral backbone that keeps it from feeling heavy. It's generous without being over-the-top.
When should I drink this wine?
Now is a very good time. The 2024 is drinking well already, and we'd suggest enjoying it until 2028. Condrieu is not a wine to cellar for the long term — its great virtue is aromatic freshness, and that fades with age.
What food should I pair it with?
Rich, cream-sauced fish dishes are the classic match — quenelles, pike, or river fish with beurre blanc. Roasted langoustines, veal in cream sauce, or a good goat's cheese with honey all work very well. Avoid anything too tannic, smoky, or powerfully spiced, which will trample the wine's delicate aromatics.
How should I serve it?
Aim for 12-13°C. Too cold and the aromatics close down; too warm and the wine loses its freshness. No need to decant — just pour into a wide-bowled white wine glass and give it a few minutes. It will reward your patience almost immediately.
Is this wine worth cellaring?
Not really. Condrieu's appeal is its aromatic immediacy and texture, and both start to fade within a few years. The 2028 window we suggest is generous — enjoy this sooner rather than later, and it will give you everything it has.
Who is Château de la Gardine?
A respected Châteauneuf-du-Pape family estate run by the Brunel family for several generations. They're best known for their southern Rhône reds, but this Condrieu shows they have serious range. The Brunel de la Gardine label is their more accessible tier, and it punches well above its price point.
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