Condrieu Lieu-Dit "L'Aleau" 2022 Graeme & Julie Bott | Rhône

Graeme and Julie Bott 's Condrieu Lieu-Dit L'Aleau is an exceptional cuvée. Firstly, because of its rarity: barely a thousand bottles. Then for its location: a single plot in the L'Aleau locality, close to Château-Grillet and the origins of Viognier. By its history too: the first parcel acquired by Graeme and Julie Bott, L'Aleau holds a special place in the hearts of the two winemakers. And finally, its quality: this wine embodies no less than the elegance and grandeur of the Condrieu appellation, and reflects the meticulous expertise of Domaine Bott, where the profound expression of the granite terroir forges Viognier cuvées of impressive precision and intensity.

Philippe Mischler, sommelier at Mundovin : Between Coteau de Chéry and Château-Grillet, the Viognier vines for this cuvée are rooted in granitic soil typical of the Northern Rhône, giving the wine a distinctive minerality and great aromatic complexity. After hand harvesting, the grapes are carefully vinified with their indigenous yeasts. Domaine Bott carries out a nine-month ageing process in French oak barrels, which brings roundness and subtlety to the wine without masking its imposing minerality.

The nose immediately betrays the exceptional character of this wine. Delicate and complex, it reveals floral aromas of honeysuckle, rose and orange blossom, mingled with notes of stone fruits such as apricot and white peach. An exotic dimension emerges, between pineapple and lychee, to which honeyed touches respond. Subtle fragrances of roasted hazelnut and smoke punctuate the whole with an interesting mineral edge.

On the palate, the attack is fresh and lively, offering a fine mineral tension from the outset. Ripe fruit flavors blend harmoniously with a marked minerality, the signature of the granite terroir. The finish is long and elegant, leaving an impression of purity and finesse that will last beyond the years of cellaring.