Condrieu “Le Tinal” AOC 2022 500ml

Wine Description for Condrieu “Le Tinal” AOC 2022 500ml by Maison Stephan

Colour & Appearance

Luminous lemon yellow with golden reflections and a delicate, vibrant perlage – a first promise of freshness and depth.

Nose

The nose is a bewitching kaleidoscope: mango, grilled pineapple and passion fruit meet blood orange, lychee and preserved peach. These are joined by acacia blossom, the hint of flowering almond trees and a deeper, almost meditative dimension from maple syrup and date. Candied ginger, orange zest and herbal freshness from thyme, lemon balm and coriander seed lend the nose a remarkable complexity. One cannot yet guess which wine style awaits in the glass.

Palate

Here reveals itself an unusually taut, slender Viognier – far removed from the opulent, baroque cliché of the variety. The tropical fruit is present, but disciplined by a tight, energetic corset of lively acidity. It is precisely these acid spikes – a rarity for Viognier of this quality – that promote the herbal, ethereal aromatics and create an invigorating, almost irresistible drinking flow. Not a gram of excess, instead maximum expression.

Finish

Long, fresh and characterised by fine mineral tension. The herbal and citrus notes linger and underline the elegant, reductive character of this extraordinary Condrieu.

Terroir & Origin

Le Tinal comes from a tiny parcel plot of just 0.17 hectares in the commune of Vérin. Beneath the vines lies a subsoil of magnesium iron mica and granite – a classic foundation for the mineral tension of the northern Rhône valley.

Grape Variety & Vinification

Viognier doré from massale selection, 35-year-old vines, yield approximately 35 hl/ha. Maison Stephan stands for consistent low-intervention winemaking: no additives, no filtration, no use of pesticides or fungicides, sulphur kept to a minimum. Cold maceration, pressing under carbon dioxide pressure, vinification in used barrels at 20 °C. Twelve months maturation in small oak barrels from Tronçais, the Alps and the Caucasus.

Food Pairing Suggestions

The taut structure and ethereal aromatics call for dishes with depth and elegance: pan-fried John Dory with saffron broth and littleneck clams, pan-fried prawns with orange butter or a fine saffron risotto with orange zest.

Special Features

A Condrieu that deliberately breaks the conventions of its variety: slender rather than opulent, taut rather than indulgent. Those wishing to rediscover Viognier will find here one of the most convincing arguments. The 500ml bottle makes it the perfect companion for an elegant dinner for two.