Viognier
Northern Rhône’s great white grape. Foundation of Condrieu and the rare Château-Grillet monopole AOC. Also co-fermented with Syrah in Côte-Rôtie.
About Viognier
Viognier is the Northern Rhône’s great white grape — a variety so close to extinction in the 1960s that fewer than 30 hectares remained planted globally. The grape’s revival from the 1980s onward has restored Condrieu (the canonical Viognier appellation) and Château-Grillet (a single-property AOC, one of France’s rarest) to editorial prominence, while expanding the variety internationally through the Rhône Rangers movement in California (Tablas Creek, Saxum, Calera). Viognier’s distinctive aromatic profile centers on apricot, peach, honeysuckle, and intense floral character; the wines are typically full-bodied with low-to-medium acid — which is the variety’s primary challenge (insufficient acid produces flat, blowsy wines). Beyond its solo expressions, Viognier plays a critical role in Côte-Rôtie production: up to 20% Viognier can be co-fermented with Syrah (the legal maximum), contributing aromatic lift, color stability, and softer tannin to the finished wine. E. Guigal’s La Mouline is the most famous Viognier-co-fermented Côte-Rôtie.
Variety profile
Editorial notes
Viognier was nearly extinct in the 1960s. The variety’s revival is one of fine wine’s recent success stories. Condrieu drinks well young (2-5 years from release); rare exceptions age longer.