Château Grillet
Château-Grillet is both an appellation and a producer in the Rhône Valley. It is one of the first appellations created in France; the wine history of Château-Grillet dates back to the 3rd century, and the notoriety of the estate and its wines can be found throughout the ages (for example, Empress Joséphine de Beauharnais had around 300 bottles of Château-Grillet in her cellar) . Château-Grillet was listed as National Heritage in 1976, and was bought in 2011 by François Pinault , also owner of Château Latour in Bordeaux. The 3.5 hectare vineyard is located south of the famous village of Condrieu and planted with the Viognier grape variety.
Each stage of working the vines is carried out by hand. Each plot is pressed and vinified individually to preserve the characteristics specific to each terrace. The wines are then aged in French oak barrels , approximately 20% of which are new, and the final blend is carefully made from these barrels.
- Appellation: Rhone Valley, Condrieu, Château-Grillet
- Owner: Frédéric Engerer
- Winemaker: Alessandro Noli
- Varieties Grown: Viognier
- Hectares/Age of Vines: 3.5 hectares, 45 years
- Altitude/Soil: 150-250 metres above sea level
- Farming Methods: Traditional methods