The 2022 Condrieu from Michel Tardieu is an extraordinary, almost contradictory wine in many ways. Contradictory and contrary to the trend of the vintage on the Rhône: 2022 was the driest year in decades in the region. Although drought and heat shaped the southern part much more than the appellations in the north, it is still a small miracle how much freshness Tardieu managed to get into this wine. You simply don't notice the hot year when you try this Condrieu. Of course, it has the typical fragrance of Viognier and in places also opulence, but at 13.5 percent by volume it is comparatively slim. On the nose, lilac, orange blossoms and nutty and grapey notes, vaguely reminiscent of Muscat. On the palate, then, an astonishingly fresh, youthful acidity, plus cool herbal notes of tarragon and meadow herbs. Orange marmalade and pear fruit. The Condrieu is allowed to mature for ten months in small wooden barrels, a mixture of first and second use, before it is bottled. The wood is perfectly integrated, as is the delicate, underlying minerality reminiscent of salmiak. Great cinema from the northern Rhône: as cool and refreshing as it is balanced, and incredibly stimulating.