2020 E. Guigal La Doriane Condrieu 750 ml

“Just about pure perfection.”

Jeb Dunnuck didn’t mince words in his 99-point review of the 2020 E. Guigal La Doriane, a magnetic Condrieu bottling that shows why aficionados constantly clamor for white wines from this one-of-a-kind region.

Condrieu is Viognier at its finest—it’s the reason vine cuttings from this tiny corner of the Northern Rhône have been planted in every corner of the vinous world. No other white in the world can quite match the intoxicatingly exotic aromatics, unctuous richness, and stony verve as the greats from this legendary—but tiny—section of the Northern Rhône. The whole appellation (420 acres) is smaller than Napa’s Stagecoach Vineyard (600 acres), which means it yields only a few superlative wines each year. 

Enter Guigal, the peerless Rhône producer that is ALWAYS the first place we look for gorgeous Rhône wines. The house boasts over twenty 100-point wines and is led by Marcel Guigal, the man Robert Parker called “this planet’s greatest winemaker,” and every sip of their 2020 La Doriane Condrieu is a singular experience. With delicate florals and vibrant fruit that will appeal to white drinkers but a density and power that will appeal to red drinkers, this is Condrieu at its best, and a must-try for any wine lover looking to expand their horizon.

Legendary chef Michel Bras’s signature dish, gargouillou is perhaps the world’s most famous and carefully composed salad. The only wine to pair with it? Condrieu, whose lilting flavors and richness-without-oakiness feel like the perfect spring day in a glass.

The 2020 La Doriane pairs perfectly with a MICHELIN three-star dish like that, or even a simply grilled piece of fish. Either way, you’ll be captivated.