E. Guigal - Condrieu La Dorianne 2011
E. Guigal Description
"La Doriane"
Produced from the top 5 terroirs of this famed appellation, La Doriane is an extremely intense wine with a complex range of aromas. On the palate, it is round and fleshy with a lovely freshness which brings harmony.
Tasting
Eye : Brilliant clear pale golden yellow.
Nose : White flowers, apricot, white peaches. Intensely powerful and elegant aromas.
Palate : Freshness, round, rich and full-bodied. Fully expressive of the terroir. Great finesse and freshness.
Overall : A pleasant light acidity is well balanced with round fleshy fruitiness.
100% Viognier
Winemaking A wine made and matured exclusively in new oak barrels for 12 months. 100% malolactic fermentation.
Wine Advocate: 94 Points
One of the great wines of Condrieu is Guigal's 2011 Condrieu La Doriane. This remarkably consistent blockbuster is not a single vineyard wine as much of it comes from some of the finest sites in this appellation, such as the Cote Chatillon, Coteau du Chery, Colombier and the aforementioned Lys de Volant. It is capable of lasting 4-5 years, although I recently found a 2001 in my cellar that was drinking sensationally. It was shocking to see how well it was holding up at age 11. The 2011 is superb, offering white peach, honeysuckle, quince, peach marmalade, spring flower and subtle background oak notes. Full-bodied with good minerality and freshness, it is exceptionally well delineated for a wine of this size.
Wine Spectator: 93 Points
Takes a broad approach, with buttered brioche, creamed melon, glazed pear and warm macadamia nut notes all gliding seamlessly through the fennel-tinged finish. A gorgeous, hedonistic version, featuring a flattering mouthfeel.
Stephen Tanzer: 93 Points
Pale gold. Nectarine, pear and lemon curd on the nose, with complicating vanilla and mineral qualities gaining strength with air. Broad and fleshy but impressively focused, offering juicy orchard fruit flavors and a bitter note of citrus pith. Precise, dry and nervy on the strikingly long, penetrating finish, with its sexy honeysuckle and ginger notes.