is now practically fully planted to vines. Château-Grillet is sometimes erroneously claimed to be the smallest appellation in France, which is incorrect since several Burgundy Grand Cru appellations are smaller. At the start of the 1970s expansion, Château-Grillet was actually of the same size as Romanée-Conti, but its neighbour La Romanée is only of half as large, or . Wine style Château-Grillet is by tradition a wine which is intended to be drunk with some maturity, often around 10 years or more from the vintage year. This style has been kept by the appellation's single producer and sets Château-Grillet apart from the Condrieu wines from most producers, or indeed almost all wines produced from Viognier grapes, which are styled to be drunk fairly young and often aims more for opulence. Aromas present in a good vintage Château-Grillet are typically apricot, truffle, and honey on the nose, and apricot, orange and tangerine on the palate. More floral aromas are present on the nose with some aging, typically eight years or more. The fruit aromas associated with Château-Grillet are therefore somewhat different than from those typically found in Condrieu, where pear is often found. Château-Grillet cellars its wines for at least 24 months in a combination of new and old oak barriques. Appellation regulations The Château-Grillet AOC can only be used for still white wines made from Viognier. The planting density must be at least 8,000 vines per hectare, and the base yield is 37 hectoliters per hectare. The grape must reach a maturity giving at least 178 grams per liter of sugar in the must (corresponding to 10.5 per cent potential alcohol), and the finished wines must have at least 11.5 per cent alcohol by volume but no more than 14 per cent after any chaptalisation. The wines must be dry with a maximum of 4 grams per liter of sugar. References External links Château-Grillet Cotes du Rhone Wines Rhône wine AOCs 1930s establishments in France