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Boules (bools) or Petanque (pe' tônk) n. 1. A light hearted game played between two players, whose main objective is to throw their boules closest to the cochonnet. 2. A wine created by François Villard and Jeff Cohn just for the pure enjoyment of working with friends who share the same passion for Viognier.

Condrieu is one of those magical places for Viognier, the perfect relationship between soil, sun and terrain lends to aromatics of peaches, apricots, honey and floral notes interlaced with a core of minerality. The wine from this region remains unctuous and fresh, without being weighed down by alcohol. California just can't quite seem to measure up, thereby spawning the idea of a Rhône Viognier blend.

In 2006 François and Jeff blended Condrieu from some of his best parcels with a touch of Viognier from a vineyard in Seyssuels outside of Vienne. The decision for the blend was made by tasting past vintages from parcel blocks, in order to achieve an understanding of each block's underlying terroir and how they would blend together. Each winemaker's style was incorporated while still creating a wine that is classic Viognier.

The wine carries fragrant peach and apricot aromatics, with a touch of sweet vanilla, honey and hints of honeysuckle, yet maintains a core of minerality that only classic Condrieu vineyards can achieve. Only 50 cases produced.

Tasting Notes

Geek out with Jeff:

The Blend: 50% Condrieu (25% De Poncins, 25% Le Grand Valons), 50% Seyssuel

De Poncins produces wines that are well structured; requiring patience and restraint before the peach and apricot character truly come alive. De Poncins is near St. Michel-Sur-Rhône in Northern Condrieu. The soil is a mix of granite and mica which transfers mineral touches to the wine.

Le Grand Vallon (also known as Le Grand Val) is located in St. Pierre-de-Boeuf, in Southern Condrieu. This vineyard produces extremely full-bodied and lush wines which have more of an exotic tropical fruit quality. The soil is a mix of granite, quartz and loess, which also gives structure and allows the wine to age.

Seyssuel is located a touch south of Vienne, Roman vineyards once existed but were destroyed by Phyloxera in the early 1900's and were never replanted, until recently. The soil of this area consists of schist with out crops of clay and sand. Steep slopes allow for exceptional ripening and long hang time; picking is typically at the end of October. Botrytis is prevalent, lending flavors and aromas of orange marmalade, mandarin orange and quince.

Fermentation and Aging:

De Poncins and Le Grand Vallon contain about 15% Botrytis and Seyssuel about 30 to 40%.

Each vineyard was gently pressed and settled to 45 degrees Fahrenheit over night, then racked and barreled. The barrel blend consisted of 50 % new French oak and 1 year old barrels.

After 30 days fermentation with temperature reaching 62-65 degrees Fahrenheit a weekly ritual of stirring of the lies over an 8 month period was performed. The wine also went through 100% malolactic fermentation. 

James Molesworth Wine Spectator: 90 points

Enticing and very expressive, with anise, fennel, papaya and mango notes offset by a hint of peach pit on the long finish. Delicious, with great varietal character. Drink now. –JM

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