Skip to content
Buy any 6 bottles and save 5%. Buy any 12 bottles and save 10% (excludes wines on offer). Free UK delivery on orders over £100. Tel: 02922 337454
Buy any 6 bottles and save 5%. Buy any 12 bottles and save 10% (excludes wines on offer). Free UK delivery on orders over £100. Tel: 02922 337454
2023 Condrieu, Les Chaillées de l'Enfer, Domaine Georges Vernay

2023 Condrieu, Les Chaillées de l'Enfer, Domaine Georges Vernay

Condrieu, Rhone Valley, France

Heavenly Terraces

Sensuous, fragrant and beautifully defined, Les Chaillées de l’Enfer brings a compelling combination of richness and freshness to Viognier. White peach, ripe apricot and succulent pear mingle with honeysuckle, chamomile and delicate white flowers, followed by citrus peel and fresh almond. Hints of mint, gentle ginger spice and subtle pastry add complexity, while a saline mineral character gives the generous fruit a finely drawn edge. It is an expressive, inviting Condrieu that reveals its detail gradually as it opens in the glass.

The palate is silky and concentrated, with layers of stone fruit carried by refreshing acidity and a subtle, tea-like grip. Its rounded texture has real substance, yet the wine remains poised, flowing towards a long finish of citrus, almond and lingering floral notes. A delicate bitterness brings savoury definition and keeps the richness beautifully balanced. Already rewarding with time in the glass, it has the depth to develop further in bottle, making it an enticing choice both for a special dinner now and for patient enjoyment over the coming years.

For when: Dinner becomes an occasion, and the white wine deserves centre stage.

Pairs with: Serve with butter-roasted lobster, monkfish in saffron cream, scallops with cauliflower purée, roast chicken with morels, langoustine ravioli or a gently spiced pumpkin and ginger risotto.

The name Les Chaillées de l’Enfer evokes the “terraces of hell”, a reference to the demanding hillside vineyards that shape this remarkable wine. Old Viognier vines grow on steep terraces of biotite granite in the heart of Condrieu, where cultivation requires painstaking manual work. The resulting cuvée combines the grape’s lavish perfume with a distinctive sense of structure, freshness and savoury depth.

The 2023 release is particularly expressive in its ripe peach, apricot and floral character, with ample fruit framed by mineral freshness and a gently bitter finish. Its concentration gives it presence, while its balance preserves the finesse that defines Christine Vernay’s wines. It is a vintage that offers generous immediate pleasure alongside the promise of greater complexity with age.

Whats in the bottle
100% Viognier

Notable Awards
95 points, The Wine Advocate

£118.00 - £118.00
£118.00
£118.00 - £118.00
£118.00
Make it a giftOptional gift bags and wooden boxes Choose +

Choose your packaging, then carry on shopping.

Choose your packaging
Availability:
In stock

Domaine Georges Vernay holds a defining place in the history of Condrieu. Francis Vernay established the family’s vineyards in the late 1930s, with the first Coteau de Vernon cuvée following in 1940. His son Georges took over in 1953 and became a tireless advocate for Viognier, helping preserve the appellation when its steep, labour-intensive vineyards faced abandonment. The family’s work helped transform Condrieu into one of the northern Rhône’s most celebrated sources of white wine.

The domaine now farms approximately 24 hectares, principally across Condrieu, Côte-Rôtie and Saint-Joseph. Its focus remains Viognier and Syrah, grown on contrasting slopes where soil, exposure and careful cultivation give each parcel its identity. Granite is particularly important to the Condrieu vineyards, providing the setting for wines that combine aromatic generosity with structure and freshness.

Christine Vernay succeeded her father in 1996, refining the estate’s whites while establishing an equally distinguished reputation for its reds. Her daughter Emma joined her in 2020, continuing the family’s close involvement in vineyard and cellar. The estate is certified organic and cultivates its vineyards biodynamically, using practices such as natural grass cover and mulching to support the health of these demanding hillside sites.

Made from 100% Viognier, Les Chaillées de l’Enfer draws on old vines averaging approximately 50 years of age. The domaine identifies La Caille, on biotite granite in the heart of Condrieu, as the cuvée’s vineyard source. The steep terrain prevents conventional mechanisation, and the grapes are harvested by hand at full ripeness into small, 20kg crates.

Whole bunches are pressed directly, followed by cold settling of the juice. Fermentation takes place on the fine lees, with wooden casks and barrels providing the vessels for a wine that combines aromatic detail with considerable texture.

Maturation lasts 15 months in 1,500-litre Stockinger oak casks and barrels, with 10% new oak. This measured use of wood supports the wine’s depth and integration while allowing its stone fruit and floral character to remain expressive. The finished wine is approachable in youth but has the structure for further development in bottle.

Certified organic. Recommended drinking window: 2026–2033.

Wine-Searcher Retailer Awards 2026/27 Gold, Overall List in Cardiff