The 2018 Stéphane Ogier Condrieu “Les Vieilles Vignes de Jacques Vernay” is a 100% Viognier from Condrieu in France’s Northern Rhône. It’s labeled at a notably moderate 12.5% alcohol, and multiple sources align on a recommended drinking window of roughly 2023–2028, positioning it as a wine meant to show well in the near to mid-term rather than requiring long cellaring.

The cuvée name points to its raw material: old vines. Retail and merchant notes describe it as coming from “old plots, often over 30 years old,” a detail repeated across sources. Some site specifics are reported more narrowly by one merchant, which places the vines in the southern part of the appellation at Saint Pierre de Boeuf, planted at high density (10,000 vines per hectare) on loose granite soils. Another source characterizes the soils differently (clay-limestone), so the precise soil makeup is best treated as variable depending on the parcel description.

In the glass, the 2018 is described in classic Condrieu terms, leaning into Viognier’s ripe-fruit and floral profile while keeping an emphasis on freshness. One tasting note calls out a “vibrant golden hue” and aromas of “peach, apricot, and white flower,” then frames the palate as “fresh and lively” with “a velvety texture” and a “long, mineral finish with a touch of honey.” Those descriptors sketch a wine that is generous without being heavy, and aromatic without reading as overly sweet.

Critical reception includes an excellent 95-point review attributed to Wine Advocate (as quoted by Saratoga Wine). The reviewer highlights “majestic, soaring aromas of jasmine, peach, pineapple and white pepper,” and describes a “medium to full-bodied, fresh, airy and very drinkable” palate with “a lovely, silky mouthfeel and tremendous persistence.” While detailed élevage and harvest information isn’t widely published in the available material, the consistent theme is a Condrieu that balances Viognier’s signature richness with lift, texture, and length.