2015 Domaine Jamet Condrieu "Vernillon"

(sourced from a site in the Côte Chatillon) Light green-tinged yellow. High-pitched, mineral-accented orange zest, melon and violet aromas show impressive clarity and vivacity. Silky and sharply focused on entry, then more fleshy in the midpalate, offering vivid citrus fruit and honeydew flavors complemented by a subtle chamomile quality. Finishes with emphatic mineral cut and solid thrust, eventually leaving a suave floral note behind. (JR) (7/2017)

The 2015 Condrieu Vernillon is a bigger, richer wine that gives up lots of tropical, exotic fruits, flowers, and honeyed tangerine in its full-bodied, rich, yet balanced profile. Readers looking for classic, old-school, age-worthy Cote Rotie should look no further than the wines from Jean-Paul and Corinne Jamet. While 2015 is an incredible vintage for this estate, the 2016s are also some of the more impressive in the appellation. (1/2018)

The first vintage for this cuvée, the 200-case 2015 Condrieu Vernillon is a beauty! Brought up in a mix of barrels and tank, it’s a rich, textured white that offers lots of textbook citrus blossom, hints of apricots, flowers and subtle minerality. It’s already drinking great, but will keep for 3-4 years. Jean-Paul and Corinne Jamet continue to fashion a staunchly traditional Côte Rôtie that’s not destemmed and is aged in a tiny amount of new oak. They also make an impressive Côtes du Rhône (red and white) and a new cuvée, their Condrieu Vernillon. Regarding the 2015 vintage, this was compared to 1999 by Jean Paul, which is a vintage he disliked early on and found too over the top. He commented that it came around with cellaring. I have to agree with him, as I love his 1999. (JD) (12/2016)