The White Wines of the Northern Rhône

Several years ago, in my guide to Hermitage, I wrote that I'd "put all the white wines of the Northern Rhone together in a single blog post later in this series." I never did. So I'm doing it now.

Why did it take me so long? The honest truth is that the topics I write about are somewhat of a negotiation between me and our customers. Yes, as a wine merchant, it's my job to stretch the minds of wine consumers and introduce them to new things. But I also have to respond to demand — and to the things that people actually search for on the internet. When I wrote the first edition of this guide to the wines of the Northern Rhône, that was Cornas, Côte-Rôtie and red Hermitage.

And when I looked at my own sales I noticed the same thing. Red and white Hermitage from Chave are released by the domaine at the same price. But in order to clear through my allocation, I had to offer the whites at a lower price.

But throughout these years I have kept in mind an old Kermit Lynch newsletter article from decades ago. It was Kermit's release of Chave, I think in the early 1980s. He gave maybe two sentences to the red Hermitage, and devoted almost the entire newsletter to the white. His point was simple: sure, they make great red wine, but so what? You can get great red wine from virtually any corner of France or Italy.

How about white Hermitage? Now that's something special. Go south of Burgundy, and great white wine is exceedingly difficult to find. White Hermitage may be the very best.

Wine consumers are starting to figure this out. The wine world in general has shifted away from reds and toward whites. At first, they gravitated to higher-acid whites — hence the popularity of Sancerre and Chablis. Now they are starting to discover the lower-acid white wines of the Northern Rhône.

I no longer have to discount Chave's white. I'm noticing a lot of interest in Condrieu — a wine that was virtually impossible to sell ten years ago — and even in wines from Saint-Péray, a region that was recently virtually unknown.

So it is time for this guide.

The Three Grapes

Three grapes do almost all the work in Northern Rhône whites: Viognier, Marsanne, and Roussanne. Each does something different, and once you know what to expect from each you have most of what you need.

Viognier

This is the aromatic showstopper. Apricot, honeysuckle, white peach, sometimes a hint of ginger or violet — Viognier has one of the most distinctive aromatic signatures of any white grape. It is also full-bodied and low in acid, with an oily texture that can veer into the unctuous. In its best expressions, almost always in Condrieu, the wine has minerality and salinity that lift the perfume into something serious.

Viognier almost went extinct. In the 1940s, the entire world's supply of the grape came from just six hectares of vines in Condrieu, almost all of it the property of Georges Vernay. Most farmers were grubbing up their vines and heading to the factories that sprouted across France during the Trente Glorieuses (what the French call their post-war economic boom), but Georges was determined to preserve his Viognier legacy. Thanks to him, the grape survived. Today there are roughly 16,000 hectares of Viognier planted globally — almost all of it descended, in some sense, from those six hectares above the Rhône.

Outside the Northern Rhône, Viognier is most common in the Languedoc, California, Australia, and Virginia. Most of it is unrecognizable next to what Condrieu produces. It also serves as a co-fermentation partner for Syrah in Côte-Rôtie, where up to 20% may be added.

Marsanne

Marsanne is the powerhouse of white Hermitage and white Saint-Joseph, often making up 90% or more of the blend. It produces a broader, nuttier wine than Viognier — almonds, honey, white flowers, sometimes a marzipan note — with low acidity but tremendous structure and the ability to age for decades. Young Marsanne can be lush and almost waxy; aged Marsanne is one of the most fascinating white wines in the world.

The grape is most associated with Hermitage but it's also planted in Crozes, Saint-Joseph, and Saint-Péray (where, in some cases, it makes 100% varietal wines).

Roussanne

This is Marsanne's more aromatic partner. It offers aromatic lift, nervy acidity, an herbal/floral edge. It's the high-toned counterpart — less abundant than Marsanne but indispensable in many blends. It's harder to grow (lower yields, more prone to disease) and ripens later, which is part of why most producers blend it with Marsanne rather than going solo. A few do — Domaine du Tunnel's Pur Blanc Roussanne in Saint-Péray is a wonderful example.

Condrieu — The Home of Viognier

If you have ever had Condrieu you probably remember it. The signature is unmistakable: an explosion of apricot and honeysuckle on the nose, followed by a full-bodied, sometimes oily wine that finishes with a hint of salt or minerality. There is nothing else quite like it in the world of wine.

The appellation is small but growing — fast. In 1992 there were 38 hectares of Viognier planted in Condrieu. By 2024 that number had climbed to 217 hectares. That's a remarkable expansion, and it reflects both the global rediscovery of the grape and the commercial success of Condrieu specifically. It also explains some of the variation you'll encounter: not all Condrieu is created equal. The historic, original commune cluster — three communes in the north of the modern AOC — produces wines of completely different character from the newer expansions to the south.

Vernay, and the Story of Condrieu's Northern Heart

As I mentioned in the intro, just ten years ago Condrieu was almost impossible to sell here in the US. Partly, that was because of a giant stereotype that is out there about Condrieu: that it's an over-the-top wine with excessive tropical fruits and flowers. It's a fruit salad. It's a flower bomb. It's all the things that we pretended to hate back in the 2010s when austere minerality was all the rage. The true wine geeks would take a sip, or just look at the bottle, and roll their eyes.

Now, there's nothing wrong with this overly fruity style, and it may be that consumer taste is moving back in that direction. But the wines I want to start with are not of the fruit-salad variety. To explain why, we have to go back in time.

In the 1940s, when Georges Vernay began tending his vines in Condrieu, Viognier was not merely obscure. It almost didn't exist at all. The entire world's supply of the grape came from just six hectares of vines, almost all of it the property of Georges Vernay, and all lying on Condrieu's vertiginous, granite terraces above the Rhône. Most farmers were abandoning their vines to work in the factories that popped up in the region during France's glorious thirty years of economic growth (the "trentes glorieuses"), but Georges was determined to preserve his Viognier legacy. Thanks to his dedication, Viognier survived.

Today, the winery is run by Christine Vernay — Georges's daughter — and her own daughter Emma Amsellem, who joined in 2021 after wine studies at Mâcon and an internship at Chave. They still farm those original six hectares. And the Viognier they produce there is not like the wines you get from the rest of the AOC.

The original Condrieu appellation covered only three communes in the north of the modern AOC. Its slopes are among the steepest in the Rhône Valley. The soils are ancient decomposed granite and gneiss — a crumbling, sandy material locally called arzelle, rich in mica and very well drained. It makes gorgeously structured, long-lived wines with salinity and minerality underneath the Viognier perfume.

Condrieu's borders have since expanded, quite significantly, to include more southern communes, where the slopes are gentler and the soils are different. Here is where the vines produce those fruit-salad wines.

The Vernay family has had lots of opportunities to expand into this frontier and have always declined. One hundred percent of their vines grow in the northern communes, and Emma is adamant that this is the only source of "real" Condrieu. 

Other Condrieu Producers Worth Knowing

• Yves Cuilleron — one of the three big houses of Condrieu by volume (with Vernay and Guigal). Extensive range — from the entry-level Vignes d'à Côté to top single-vineyards. Yves's son Edgar has now taken over winemaking. Style is precise and modern, often with more new oak than the traditionalists.
• Guigal — La Doriane is the flagship single-vineyard Condrieu, made in the maison's signature ripe, polished style. The entry-level Condrieu is also reliably excellent and easy to find.
  
• André Perret — Their Coteau de Chéry is one of the great references for the AOC. Perret is also one of the best Saint-Joseph Blanc producers; he is criminally underappreciated in both AOCs.
  
• François Villard — De Poncins and Le Grand Vallon are the wines to know. Villard is a multi-AOC producer based in Saint-Michel-sur-Rhône; his Condrieus are pure, focused, and well-priced.
  
• Pierre-Jean Villa — His Condrieu "Acantha" is excellent. Villa makes wines across the Northern Rhône — Côte-Rôtie's "Esprit de Famille" is his flagship — but the Condrieu deserves attention.
• Mathilde et Yves Gangloff — Tiny production, allocated, very high quality.
• Pierre Gaillard, Niero, Patrick & Christophe Bonnefond, Stéphane Montez (Domaine de Monteillet) — solid mid-tier producers, often available at attractive prices.

Château-Grillet — A Tiny World of Its Own

Right in the middle of Condrieu, surrounded entirely by Condrieu vineyards, there is a single 3.5-hectare property that has its own AOC: Château-Grillet. It is one of the smallest AOCs in France and one of only a handful of single-producer AOCs in the country.

For nearly two centuries Château-Grillet was owned by the Neyret-Gachet family. In 2011 it was sold to François Pinault's Artémis Domaines — the same group that owns Château Latour, Clos de Tart, and Domaine d'Eugénie. Under Artémis, investment has poured in, and the wines have been recalibrated for greater freshness while retaining their structural longevity.

The style is distinct from Condrieu: less aromatic exuberance, more cellar potential. Picked later, aged longer in oak. These are wines designed to be drunk at fifteen or twenty years old, not at three. They are also expensive — bottles routinely trade for several hundred dollars — which limits how often most of us encounter them.

For 2024 and 2025 the estate is operating under a new technical director, with both vintages described in the trade as a "learning phase". Worth knowing if you're buying.

Hermitage Blanc — A Unique Classic

Of all the Northern Rhône whites, with the possible exception of Château-Grillet, Hermitage Blanc is the one with the deepest historical pedigree and the longest cellaring potential. As I alluded to in the introduction with my reference to an old Kermit Lynch newsletter, some authorities argue that white Hermitage — not red — is the true historic specialty of the hill. Whether or not that's the case, white Hermitage has been making serious wine for centuries.

The wines are typically Marsanne-dominant blends with some Roussanne, though there are exceptions. They are full-bodied, rich, structured, and very ageworthy. Their evolution is famously non-linear: white Hermitages can be glorious in their first three or four years, then "go dumb" for a decade or more before re-emerging in their 12th or 15th year as something altogether more complex — nutty, honeyed, mineral, fascinating.

This "dumb phase" is unique to the wines and explains why so many bottles are drunk young (excellent) or fully mature (sublime), with not much in between. If you have a bottle that's seven or eight years old and the wine seems flat, that is normal. You just didn't wait long enough.

Top Producers

• Domaine Jean-Louis Chave — This is the benchmark. Marsanne-Roussanne blend, sourced from multiple sites on the hill including Rocoules and Péléat. Made in tiny quantities and almost impossible to find at release. The normal rule is to cellar for two decades, though a recently tasted 2013 was sublime at age 13.
  
• M. Chapoutier — Three single-vineyard whites: De L'Orée (100% Marsanne from old vines in Les Murets and L'Hermite), L'Ermite Blanc, and Le Méal Blanc. Often 100% Marsanne. All ageworthy in the Chapoutier mold.
  
• Paul Jaboulet Aîné — Chevalier de Stérimberg is the white companion to La Chapelle. Under Caroline Frey's direction it has returned firmly to top form. Biodynamic and regenerative across the estate since 2021.
  
• Domaine Marc Sorrel (now Guillaume Sorrel) — Their Les Rocoules was my white Hermitage epiphany many years ago. Small, traditional, very ageworthy. Guillaume's first solo vintage was 2019; his father Marc retired after the 2018 vintage. Guillaume has brought a slightly more precise touch while preserving the house style.
  
• Ferraton Père & Fils — This is a Chapoutier-adjacent traditionalist option; reliable and not too expensive at the basic level.
  
• Delas Frères — The quality of their Domaine des Tourettes Blanc is improving under Roederer ownership.

Crozes-Hermitage Blanc

Worth a paragraph here: white Crozes is the same Marsanne-Roussanne idiom as Hermitage Blanc, on adjacent terroir, but the wines are simpler and quicker to drink. Reliable producers include Combier, Belle, Maxime Graillot (who has taken over from his father Alain after Alain's death in 2022), and Domaine des Remizières. These are not generally cellaring wines. They are excellent everyday Northern Rhône whites.

Saint-Joseph Blanc — Catching up!

As is true for the reds, so it is for the whites: Hermitage Blanc is the historical classic, but Saint-Joseph Blanc is catching up fast. More producers are taking it seriously, and more terroirs are being discovered in the varied terroirs of Saint-Joseph that are ideal for white wine production.

The grapes are the same as Hermitage Blanc — Marsanne and Roussanne, with Marsanne dominating. The crucial difference is geography. Saint-Joseph faces east (mostly). Hermitage Blanc faces south. East-facing slopes ripen on the cooler morning sun, which means Saint-Joseph Blanc retains a freshness and aromatic lift that's harder to find in Hermitage. As global warming has nudged Northern Rhône temperatures upward, that east-facing freshness has become a real asset.

Most Saint-Joseph Blancs are made by red-wine specialists who treat the white as a sideline. The few producers who take it seriously can make wines that genuinely rival Hermitage Blanc.

Top Producers

• Domaine Bernard Gripa — the Berceau Blanc, from old Marsanne vines in the Mauves lieu-dit that gives Saint-Joseph its name, is the AOC's reference white. Run today by Fabrice Gripa, who took over from his father Bernard in 2001. If you only buy one Saint-Joseph Blanc, buy this one.
  
• Domaine Pierre Gonon — Les Oliviers. The Gonon brothers — Pierre and Jean, fourth generation — inaugurated a dedicated whites cellar in 2024, which is a meaningful signal that the whites are getting the same attention as the reds. Expect this wine to climb in profile. The Gonon name ensures that it is already a very hard wine to find at a reasonable price.
  
• Domaine Jean-Louis Chave — Chave only makes Saint-Joseph Blanc, called "Circa", with his négociant label, but the fruit happens to be entirely from his domain, and he thinks that it will soon be good enough to be "upgraded" to full domaine wine. In the meantime, it is an incredible bargain, and we try to always keep it in stock.
  
• Pierre Coursodon — Silice Blanc and La Sensonne Blanc. Now run by Jérôme Coursodon, who has dialed back the new oak from his father's era. The Sensonne is the more serious of the two.
  
• Lionel Faury — Small production but lovely. Lionel took over in 2006 and is one of the best producers in Chavanay (see the guide to Saint-Joseph); the whites are worth seeking out.
  
• André Perret — Les Grisières Blanc, alongside his better-known Condrieu range. This is one of the most underrated whites in the Northern Rhône.
  
• Domaine Jean-Claude Marsanne — No surprise that Jean-Claude Marsanne makes great Marsanne! The old vines are in Mauves and they are worked by hand and pickaxe on the steep slopes. Jean-Claude took over from his father in 1991; his daughters are now involved (the domaine sometimes labels as Jean-Claude Marsanne et Filles). Classical style, great value.
  

Saint-Péray — More than just a WSET Question

The smallest of the Northern Rhône's white-wine AOCs has long been overlooked — except by aspiring wine professionals who needed to pass a WSET exam. But it actually produces delicious white wine. It sits immediately south of Cornas and produces both still and traditional-method sparkling wines from Marsanne and Roussanne.

The same dynamic that elevated Cornas — better farming, better winemaking, increased interest in granite-grown classics — has spilled over into Saint-Péray. Today the appellation is producing some of the most exciting whites in the Northern Rhône, and prices remain reasonable.

Top Producers

• Domaine Alain Voge — the benchmark, with 5.5 hectares in the AOC. Look for Fleur de Crussol, Ongrie, and Harmonie. The "Les Bulles d'Alain" sparkling Saint-Péray, made in the traditional method, is also worth seeking out — a serious aperitif wine made from the same grapes as the stills. The domaine has been led by Albéric Mazoyer since Alain Voge's death in 2014.
• Domaine du Tunnel — founded in 1994 by Stéphane Robert, named for the disused railway tunnel adjacent to the cellar. Four cuvées: a Marsanne, a Roussanne, a Prestige (80/20 Marsanne-Roussanne blend), and the very small Pur Blanc made from Marsanne vines 80 to 100 years old. The Pur Blanc is one of the most exciting whites being made in the Northern Rhône today.
  
• A&E Verset — yes, the same A&E Verset of Cornas fame (Emmanuelle Verset; see our Cornas guide). She has been making a small Saint-Péray that's worth attention.
  
• Domaine Bernard Gripa — already mentioned for Saint-Joseph; also produces a Saint-Péray that punches well above its price.
• Cave Lemenicier, Domaine Stéphane Robert, Colombo, Chaboud — additional names for the bench. Chaboud in particular is the historical reference for traditional-method Saint-Péray.
  

Recent Vintages for Whites

The whites have followed a slightly different trajectory than the reds in recent years. As you might guess, the heat vintages (2019, 2020, 2022) produced rich, opulent whites that drank well young but may not age as classically. The cooler vintages (2021, 2024) produced whites with greater freshness, precision, and aging potential.

• 2019 — powerful, ripe whites. The Hermitages and Condrieus have plenty of substance; they'll age but won't always show the high-toned profile of cooler years.
• 2020 — a warmly-praised vintage across the board. Balanced whites with both fruit and freshness. Drinking beautifully now.
  
• 2021 — a cool, classical year. The whites are outstanding — Condrieu especially showing a freshness reminiscent of the 1990s.
  
• 2022 — drought and heat. The whites are riper, but still fine in many cases; in Saint-Péray especially the wines retained their nervosity.
  
• 2023 — a solid vintage for whites. Condrieu shows a little less ripeness than 2022 but lively, fresh, and expressive. Hermitage Blanc and Saint-Joseph Blanc are both very good.
  
• 2024 — the wettest year on record in the Rhône Valley. The whites are the headline of the vintage, with critics calling them remarkable for their precision and purity. The reds will be lighter; the whites are very fine.
  

Buying and Cellaring

The white wines of the Northern Rhône reward attention. Three pieces of advice:

First, make Saint-Péray your discovery. Voge and du Tunnel are both reasonably priced, widely available, and absolutely top-class. If you're buying Northern Rhône reds at $50 and up, you owe it to yourself to drink the equivalent-priced Saint-Péray whites alongside.

Second, give the whites of Hermitage time. Don't drink them in their fifth or sixth year — that's the dumb phase. Drink them in their first three years (when they're vivid and aromatic) or wait until their tenth (when they re-emerge into greatness).

Third, revisit Condrieu. Probably start by trying the Vernon from Vernay. It really is one of the great white wines of France. The fact that it comes from a grape (Viognier) that almost ceased to exist eighty years ago, grown on the same six hectares that saved the grape, makes it almost a historical artifact. And it also happens to be delicious.

Shop the white wines of the Northern Rhône — SHOP NYC  •  SHOP SF

Jeff Patten is one of the founders of Flatiron Wines. He has been buying and selling wine, and exploring wine country, for over 20 years, and drinking and collecting it for far longer. He is WSET certified (level 2).