to Chardonnay. Normally the wine is made dry but the fruitiness and perfume of the bouquet can suggest sweetness. The Viognier grape is naturally low in acidity, which challenges growers and winemakers to keep the wine from becoming flabby and bleak. Some winemakers in the region use malolactic fermentation and some do not. The delicate flavors of the wine can be overwhelmed by too much oak during the winemaking process. Aging The ability of Condrieu to age is much discussed in the wine industry and opinions differ. Some experts like Master of Wine Mary Ewing-Mulligan believe that it is best consumed within three years of harvest. The Oxford Companion to Wine describes Condrieu as one of the few luxury wines that is meant to be consumed young, typically within two to four years. Wine writer Tom Stevenson recommends drinking Condrieu within four to eight years of harvest and notes that its freshness and purity can be lost as the wine ages. James Molesworth of Wine Spectator notes that some vintages of Condrieu, such as the 2004, will produce more intense, concentrated wines that will age gracefully. Appellation regulations The Condrieu AOC can only be used for still white wines made from Viognier. The planting density must be at least 6 500 vines per hectare, and the base yield is 41 hectoliter per hectare. The grape must reach a maturity giving at least 178 g/L 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. If the wine has more than 45 grams per liter of sugar (only applicable for rare sweet Condrieu wines), it must not have been chaptalised to reach that sugar level. References Cotes du Rhone Wines Website Rhône wine AOCs 1940s establishments in France