The 2014 Condrieu Chanson is about as voluptuous and sexy as they come in the vintage. Flower oil, honeysuckle, marmalade and citrus blossom all emerge from this medium to full-bodied, layered Viognier, and while it packs plenty of fruit on the palate, it stays lively, fresh and pure. It’s a rock start Condrieu to enjoy over the coming 3-4 years.

Showing much better from bottle than barrel, the sensational 2013 Condrieu Chanson is loaded with unctuous, layered, and ripe aromas and flavors of white peach, buttered citrus, tangerine and light minerality. Fresh, focused and clean, yet again with beautiful richness, this classic Condrieu is drinking spectacularly today, but will hold for at least 4-5 years.

Seeing additional barrel time, with 18 months in 40% new oak, the 2012 Condrieu Chanson knocks it out of the park with its stunning bouquet of white peach, citrus blossom and edgy minerality. Possessing a crystalline like texture, with vibrant acidity and fabulous length, it’s not a blockbuster and excels for its purity and focus.

Moving to the whites, I found all of the Condrieus to be outstanding, with each showing a unique character. Starting off, the 2011 Condrieu Chanson is a pretty, layered and impressively rich effort that exudes notions of honeysuckle, apricot jam, brioche and flowers on the nose. Clean, classy and pure, with a richer, yet still fresh profile, it should drink nicely for 2-3 years. While the 2011 reds from proprietor Stephan Montez were good to very good, his Condrieus were stunning. No known American importer.

The 2006 Condrieu Chanson is nearly as good as its sibling, slightly more restrained and more mineral-laced, but with plenty of exotic lychee, peach, poached pear, and honeysuckle. This is a beauty that should be drunk over the next 1-2 years as well. Stephane Montez is one of the most passionate of the young producers in Cote Rotie, and he makes sensational Condrieu and St.-Joseph as well. His approach to red winemaking is decidedly modern, destemming his entire crop, controlling fermentation temperatures, and for his different cuvees of Cote Rotie, aging them in a combination of 550-liter demi-muids and smaller casks, of which there is a high percentage of new oak, especially for his top cuvee, Les Grandes Places. Importer: Peter Weygandt, Weygandt-Metzler, Unionville, PA; tel. (610) 486-0800