Limited. The Vernon vineyard is the Montrachet of Condrieu and the Vernay's are the sole owner of the front side of this sheer, southeast-facing slope. Unlike Montrachet however, there's only 1.7ha - which yields a maximum of less than 400 cases per year - not nearly enough to satisfy the desire of the world's fine wine community. The unique free draining bedrock of decomposed granite - locally called "gore" - is planted to 60+ year old vines that yield on average a staggering low 18 hectolitres per hectare, each vine is individually hand tended - there is no other option. After pressing the must is cooled and allowed to settle before going into a combination of small and large barrels [of which 20% are new]. There it completes fermentation on fine lees for 12 - 18 months, and is then transferred to stainless steel to freshen up before bottling. Coteau de Vernon yields one of the greatest whites of the Rhône Valley, a complete expression of Viognier in a very special terroir. It's pretty much in a world of its own with somehow more power, more poise and more complexity than its peers. If the 'Chaillées de l'Enfer' is the dazzling starlet of the duo, 'Coteau de Vernon' is the cerebral heavyweight. It's the kind of wine that asks questions of the drinker as opposed to vice versa. The nose, dominated by dried fruits, spice and roasted nuts drizzled in honey, offers an encyclopaedia of Viognier aromas. The mouthfeel is particularly fine and satiny and floods the palate with striking fruits laced with spice and floral nuances. The beauty of this wine is that while it carries so much flavour it never loses its connection from the site from where it came; Vernon's almost overt saline minerality shows through with elegance and transparency. Certainly not a wine for the faint of heart, this is simply a great vintage of Vernay's enigmatic masterpiece.