93-Points by James Suckling & Wine Spectator.
A fresh, sleek style, with mouthwatering olive, rosemary and white pepper notes pulling the core of cherry along. Has the slightly crisp angle of the vintage, but shows depth and energy that should help this fill out with modest cellaring.
 
Domaine Georges Vernay is one of the Rhône's most renowned wine producers, and has contributed significantly to the rejuvenation of the Condrieu appellation. Today, the estate has built on its reputation for superior Viognier wines and its complementary range of high-quality Syrah wines from Côte Rôtie.
Founder Francis Vernay planted the domaine's original vines on a single hectare (three-acre) of south-facing hillside at the base of the Coteau du Vernon in 1937. The inaugural vintage of Coteau de Vernon was released in 1940.
When Georges Vernay inherited the estate from his father in the early 1950s, he began to develop and expand these vineyards, as well constructing a series of terraces. Christine Vernay, George's daughter, who took over the running of the estate in 1996, has continued to expand its vineyard holdings with the acquisition of several plots in the Saint-Joseph, Côte Rôtie and Collines Rhodaniennes apppellations – all planted to Syrah.
As a result, Domaine Georges Vernay is now recognized as much for its Syrah as its Viognier. The estate vineyards and wines are certified Organic.
Today, the domaine produces approximately 9000 bottles of its flagship Coteau de Vernon wine each year. The Viognier grapes are sourced from a two-hectare (five-acre) south-facing terraced vineyard that is planted with vines aged up to 80 years old.
Grapes are hand-harvested and the wine is aged in contact with its lees for around a year in oak barrels, a quarter of which are new.
The Côte Rôtie wine portfolio consists of a 100-percent Syrah wine, Maison Rouge, as well as a Syrah and Viognier blend, Blonde du Seigneur. The remainder of the domaine's Syrah-based wine range is sourced from its vineyards in Saint-Joseph, Collines Rhodaniennes and Côtes du Rhône, with an additional white Viognier wine produced from 15 year-old-vines planted in Collines Rhodaniennes.