Appellation
Condrieu
Identity card
VillageAOPWhiteSweet
Rhône Valley › Northern Rhône · Recognised on 27 April 1940
- Village
- Regional
Key points
- White only, from Viognier alone, in 7 communes across 3 departments.
- At most 41 hl/ha and at least 11.5% natural alcohol; hand-harvested.
- Usually dry; sometimes medium-sweet or sweet, from overripe grapes.
Grape varieties
Production rules
41
hl/ha
Maximum yield
11.5
% ABV
Minimum natural alcohol
6,500
vines/ha
Minimum planting density
- Maximum yield
- How much wine a hectare may produce under the appellation (a higher, exceptional ceiling often exists). The lower it is, the less can be made: one of the levers on how concentrated the grapes are. For reference: 35 hl/ha to 80 hl/ha across 96 Oenopia appellations of the same colour.
- Minimum natural alcohol
- The alcohol the grapes' own sugar must be able to give, without enrichment: a ripeness threshold at harvest. For reference: 9 % ABV to 14 % ABV across 46 Oenopia appellations of the same colour.
- Minimum planting density
- The fewest vines allowed per hectare. For the same yield, more vines means fewer grapes on each. For reference: 4,000 vines/ha to 9,000 vines/ha across 105 Oenopia appellations of the same colour.
Terroir
- Lie of the land: Steep right-bank slopes on narrow terraces (chaillées)
- Soils: Poor sandy-clay soils, weathered mostly from granite
- Climate: Cold, dry Bise from the north; south/south-east slopes
Wine style
Boundaries: INAO, AOC vineyard plot delimitation (September 2026 edition) · Open Licence
Specification
4 July 2024
Arrêté du 4 juillet 2024 homologuant le cahier des charges de l'appellation d'origine contrôlée « Condrieu » (JORF du 7 juillet 2024 ; BO du MASA du 18 juillet 2024). Appellation initialement reconnue par le décret du 27 avril 1940.
Labelling terms
- "Demi-sec", "moelleux" or "doux" required on the label when not dry
- The name of a registered lieu-dit may appear on the label
Nearby appellations
Sources
- Official sourceCahier des charges de l'appellation d'origine contrôlée « Condrieu »— Institut national de l'origine et de la qualité (INAO) / Ministère de l'agriculture
A northern Rhône cru between Côte-Rôtie to the north and Saint-Joseph to the south, covering seven communes in the Rhône, Loire and Ardèche departments on the river's right bank. Recognised in 1940, the appellation makes white wine only, entirely from Viognier, on steep slopes cut into narrow terraces known locally as "chaillées". The wine is usually dry, sometimes off-dry; in years that allow it, a small amount of medium-sweet or sweet wine is made from overripe grapes picked in successive passes.
Mini-challenge
Condrieu
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