Primavera, Pierre-Jean Villa. Collines Rhodaniannes, Rhône 2021

The Primavera is a Condrieu in all but name.  Whilst technically labelled as a St Joseph wine, the vineyards neighbour Condrieu and I’d argue tastes closer to a traditional, rich Condrieu now that so many are moving towards a young, fruity style. Pierre-Jean does produce a Condrieu, which retails at around £55 a bottle, but quantities are tiny and stock disappears as quickly as it arrives in the UK. 

So this comes from a vineyard in the Saint-Joseph appellation – the least well known in the northern Rhône. It is spread rather loosely over fifty kilometres of the river, so has little geographical or stylistic cohesion. The white wines are normally made of Roussanne and Marssanne – hence why this is not labelled as St Joseph Blanc. This is 100% Viognier matured for a year in very large old oak barrels

Pierre-Jean trained in Burgundy and then spent 10 years as the régisseur at “Les Vins de Vienne”, working with some of the most famous names in the area to restore some forgotten vineyards in the northern Rhone. In 2009 he created his own small estate.

Hedonistic, rich Viognier – very much in the style of the best wines of Condrieu, without being quite so intense.