In Château Grillet, the single-estate white Viognier appellation in the northern Rhône, only 2,300 bottles were produced from the 2021 harvest. That year was affected by frost, hail, disease, and rot, and the harvest was concentrated into just three days, from the 21st to the 23rd of September.
The vineyard is small to begin with. It covers less than 4 hectares and is laid out in a south-facing amphitheater shape; grapes from each plot are pressed and vinified separately, then aged in French oak barrels, approximately 20% of which are new. The grapes are grown using biodynamic farming methods.
This vineyard is owned by François Pinault and managed by Frédéric Engerer, the same pairing behind a cluster of serious properties. Rather than blending the grapes from the outset, they manage each plot separately.
It is best enjoyed through 2036. While it is drinkable now, if opening a young bottle, it is recommended to let it breathe in a decanter for about an hour.
James Suckling (95)
Noble aromas of stone fruits, also notes of white tea and verbena, yet the wine’s strength is the intense and finely nuanced stony minerality that washes over you. Great interplay between the salty and Amalfi lemon character and the fine tannins. Still very young, but with excellent aging potential. From biodynamically grown grapes. Drinkable now, but best from 2024.
Vinous (96)
The 2021 Château-Grillet is a more subtle rendition compared to the surrounding vintages. Swirling the glass unlocks linden blossom, lime flesh, apricot, white peach and discrete cedar tones. This is a refined Château-Grillet with precisely sculpted aromas and flavors. Like in 2020, the fruit is just ripe, which helps to retain a wonderful sense of freshness. Offering a seamless mouthfeel and a saline touch on the elegant finish, the 2021 is utterly delicious. Made from grapes that were harvested between the 21st and 23rd of September, only 2,300 bottles were produced.
