The 2020 Condrieu la Chambee lacks a bit of Viognier expressiveness on the nose, being rather quiet, with subtle scents of pear and citrus. Thankfully, it recovers somewhat on the medium-bodied palate, delivering a touch more ripeness, tropical fruit, a pleasant wash of silken texture and a long, spice-accented finish.

A bit plumper than the Amphore d'Argent bottling but similar in quality, the medium to full-bodied 2016 Condrieu la Chambee features hints of honey, apricot and citrus upfront, followed by bergamot and kaffir lime on the finish.

I actually like the larger production, 2012 Condrieu La Chambee Blanc better. Aged in 20% new French oak (the Archeveques sees 40%), it is a pretty, rich and textured beauty that offers lots of buttered citrus, apricot, white flowers and spice to go with a medium-bodied, layered and nicely focused palate feel. It too should be consumed over the coming 2-3 years. Coming from the schist soils located just north of the town of Vienne (close to Cote Rotie), in the Seyssuel region, and with a slightly similar southern exposure to its more well-known neighbor, the team of Pierre Gaillard, Yves Cuilleron and Francoise Villard are, along with a few other dedicated growers (Stephane Ogier being one of them), showing the potential of this “new” (in the Roman times, it was more famous than Cote Rotie) region. Playing in the more elegant, finesse side of the spectrum, these efforts have beautiful, energetic and lengthy profiles, with solid potential. In addition, they release a number of other cuvees from all of the northern Rhone (and some southern Rhone) appellations. Looking specifically at the efforts from the Seyssuel region (which is north of the town of Vienne and comprised of schist soils), they release two cuvees; the Sotanum, which is a rich, more full-bodied release; and the Heluicum, which is more finesse-driven. Importer: DHI Selection, New York, NY; tel. (516) 869-9170