One of the powerhouses of the Rhône and a name synonymous with beautifully crafted wines from some of the regions finest vineyard sites. After 15 years working at Vidal-Fleury, Etienne Guigal formed his own estate in 1946, joined by his son Marcel in 1961 and by 1984, they had purchased Vidal-Fleury and took control of 35% of the Côte Rôtie harvest. They purchased the Château d'Ampuis in 1995, today fully restored, it is the headquarters of the estate and home to the Guigal cooperage. Marcel's son, Phillipe is the winemaker and Guigal produce a range of stunning wines from across the terroirs of the Rhône.
The extroverted 2019 Cote Rotie La Turque is about as impressive a young wine as I've tasted at Guigal, with extravagant, blossom-like aromas and oodles of cassis and blueberries. Full-bodied, it's simultaneously concentrated and rich yet airy and almost weightless, an outrageous juxtaposition of characters that must be tasted to be understood. Drink 2025 - 2045.
I was blown away by the 2019 Côte Rôtie La Turque, which comes from a tiny parcel in the Côte Brune and is fermented with a touch of Viognier as well as a small amount of stems. It too has a smoky, meaty, gamey profile as well as full-bodied richness and tons of mid-palate depth and concentration. It's another serious 2019 with structure to spare, remarkable purity, flawless balance, and a great finish. As usual, it's not for the instant gratification crowd and is going to demand 10-15 years of bottle age.
"From the haunting nose through to the end of the extremely long finish this wine embodies the rocky personality of Cote-Rotie, along with the special ripeness that the syrah achieves here. As floral as it is stony, as structured as it is concentrated, yet all of this builds an imposing and enchanting whole. A cuvee of 93% syrah and 7% viognier. Matured in 100% new oak for 42 months."