The fortunes of the twin appellations of Condrieu and Côte Rôtie have waxed and waned in the twentieth century. They are currently undergoing a huge surge in popularity, but this is not the first time in the history of the region that the wines have been highly sought after. It was the Romans who first planted vines here – much of the cultivation still takes place on the original, steeply graded Roman terraces which overlook the Rhône. Vienne, and not Lyon, was initially the seat of Roman power in this part of France and a wine from this area known as Vinum Picatum was the first French wine to reach Rome and was much eulogised by Pliny.

Winemaking continued through until the end of the nineteenth century when the region was devastated by phylloxera. Whilst the vineyards were slowly replanted, many growers had turned to fruit tree cultivation on flatter land by the river. This natural disaster was then followed by two World Wars, and the Depression of the Thirties. By the late 40s, wine from the region was sold under the label vin ordinaire. Lean times continued through the 60s and 70s, until the region caught the eye of foreign importers.

In the 80s extensive replanting was undertaken and the vineyard area was expanded. Such is the demand for the wines of this region today, that it is now practically impossible to buy land. Pierre Benetière was one of the last of a new generation to be able to do so. Sixteen years ago he bought and replanted 2,6ha of land (1,4ha in Condrieu and 1,2ha in Côte Rôtie), producing his first vintage in the garage of a suburban house in Péage de Roussillon (a garagiste in the Rhône?!). Five years ago he was finally able to set himself up in cellars in Condrieu.

Pierre, an ardent rugby supporter does not come from an agricultural background, and as is so often the case, his outlook is therefore refreshingly untainted (as a well-known Burgundian Dutchman recently quipped: “It takes several generations to learn how to make bad wine”!). His philosophy however is nothing extraordinary. He is slowly moving towards organic agriculture, shunning pesticides, insecticides and chemical fertilizers. The plough is gradually replacing weedkillers, although many of the terraces cannot be worked mechanically (this not being a priority for the Romans). Vines are pruned short in winter and debudded to keep yields low, not with the intention of producing alcoholic wines, but of finding a better alcohol / acid balance. Green harvesting is undertaken when necessary. What does all of this give us? A wine which is modern in style, silky, concentrated and perfumed, without ever being extracted.

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