Château Grillet AOP, Flashcards
Chat about Château Grillet AOP
The Viognier wines of Château Grillet AOP, a monopole within Condrieu, enjoy historical acclaim but are perhaps more notable today for their rarity than intrinsic value. Château Grillet is often incorrectly cited as the smallest appellation in France; this distinction belongs to La Romanée in Burgundy.
Primary Soil Type
granitic sand
AOC Established
1936
Maximum Yield (Rendement de Base)
37 hl/ha
Minimum Planting Density
8,000 vines per hectare
Harvest Method
Manual harvesting is mandatory
Styles and Encépagement
Blanc: 100% Viognier
Overview of Château Grillet AOP
A rare creature! Château Grillet produces a unique wine that is, in many ways, almost mythical. Firstly, its 3.5ha make it the smallest AOC in the Rhône Valley.
Located on the right bank of the Rhône, its vineyards overhang the river forming the perfect amphitheatre: open to the South-East and bathed in warm sun. Only a single grape variety is planted there: the viognier. Its terroir is characterized by a light, fragmented soil rich in mica. Produced by a sole harvesting owner, this elegant variety is characterized by its aromas of honey and fruit (peach and apricot), blending a subtle acidity with resounding smoothness…
Varieties in Château-Grillet
Château-Grillet is made exclusively from viognier, a robust grape variety. Rich in alcohol, it gives wine body and floral aromas (violet, hawthorn, acacia), and then, as it ages, honey, musk, and dried peaches and apricots. These are the final notes that best characterize wines from this AOC.
HISTORY in Château-Grillet
The vineyard has existed since Roman times, and is regularly mentioned in the chronicles of travellers and wine lovers of the 17th and 18th centuries! Today, the small but well known terroir has a single owner. Château Grillet was awarded AOC status in 1936.
Geography in Château-Grillet
The AOC is produced in only one vineyard that straddles the counties of Saint-Michel-sur-Rhône and Vérin. Located in the Loire, it opens out on the right bank of the Rhône, south of Vienna.
Climate in Château-Grillet
Mediterranean climate. The terroir is South facing, bathed in sunlight, and sheltered from Northern winds.
SOILS in Château-Grillet
Terroir’s with coarse granite sands are the result of changes to gneissic primary rock, and need to be contained with walls. This peculiarity gives the vineyard a remarkable terraced landscape.
PRODUCTION SURFACE AREA in Château-Grillet
4 hectares
TOTAL PRODUCTION IN 2013 in Château-Grillet
14 hl
