For The Love Of Port

First of all, I hope readers will apologize for my lack of experience with wines from this region of the Northern Rhone, since in my neck of the woods they typically retail from $100 to $300 or more; in the case of the top bottlings of Guigal, they are not even sold here except for an off vintage at $315. Great vintages can go for $1,000+ elsewhere. Thanks to the Seahawks' throttling of the 49ers recently, I was the lucky winner of this fine bottle. By comparison to other free wines I have had, this one takes the crown. It retails here for $64, which is cheap by this region's standards.

I reserved judgment on this wine after uncorking it on New Year's Eve, because its prodigious tannins were overpowering. As far as this bottle is concerned, doing a pop and pour borders on infanticide. The winemaker recommends cellaring for 8 to 15 years. It appears to me to be very capable of going into the 2020s.

The consistent initial impression over these two nights is that the wine has considerable structure and power, in spite of only 13% alcohol. By comparison to a very fine 2003 Mas de la Barben La Calice from the Costieres de Nimes at 15% alcohol, a wine for which Marcel Chapoutier consults, this Cote Rotie is even bigger. A dear friend who tasted the Barben at New Year's remarked on its strength and power. Strictly speaking he was right, but he ain't seen nuthin' yet.

In terms of depth of bouquet, this has the same nose weight, for lack of a better term, as Ch. La Mission Haut Brion. There is lots of earth, some wood, and dark fruits, with maybe some smoke too. It is 100% Syrah, I suspect sourced entirely from the Cote Brune. (The winemaker has a confidentiality agreement with his suppliers and cannot divulge the lieu-dits.) It's opaque, dark red, no lightening at the rim. It has some legs and stains the glass a bit too. The flavour while very full-bodied, 24 hours after uncorking, is rich, long and quite smooth. The tannins are very noticeable but well integrated. The best analogy I can give, based on my (comparatively limited) experience, is that it has the strength of Ch. Leoville-Las Cases with the elegance of Ch. Leoville-Barton (specifically the 2004 vintages). This drinks like a premium St. Julien costing $100 or more, and is absolutely sensational with lamb. Reviewers elsewhere have noticed bacon aroma in other Cote Roties; I found nothing of the sort here. The winemaker mentioned licorice on the label, and at this point I found none of that. Furthermore, I cannot recall an Australian Shiraz tasting anything like this.

I had high expectations for this wine, and they were met. It is excellent with the potential in several years to be even better - but patience is required. I am very much looking forward to experiencing another Cote Rotie that is closer to maturity. As a special occasion wine, this does very well. This was indeed a Happy New Year.

Ray

Cote Rotie is one my favorite wine regions. Wish they were more affordable.

Thanks Moses. If this wine went on sale, I would be sorely tempted to try to get half a case or more, one bottle at a time. I neglected to mention the wine had a bit of dark chocolate. Even for an "entry level" Cote Rotie, it was pretty rich stuff.

Ray Barnes wrote:Thanks Moses. If this wine went on sale, I would be sorely tempted to try to get half a case or more, one bottle at a time. I neglected to mention the wine had a bit of dark chocolate. Even for an "entry level" Cote Rotie, it was pretty rich stuff.

I went to a Guigal Cote Rotie vertical, about a dozen or so La La's; boy was that heaven! All were lesser vintages, but still amazing. If I had to flip a coin between Burgundy and Cote Rotie....

Moses, I'd love to hear your impressions about the Guigals, especially La Mouline, which Robert Parker considers to be the greatest red wine in the world. Suffice to say, Guigal's wines have gotten strong opinions for and against among critics. As for Burgundy, I am becoming a late convert to it after being weaned on Bordeaux, but the high price of their recent vintages have forced seeking alternatives.

Ray Barnes wrote:Moses, I'd love to hear your impressions about the Guigals, especially La Mouline, which Robert Parker considers to be the greatest red wine in the world. Suffice to say, Guigal's wines have gotten strong opinions for and against among critics. As for Burgundy, I am becoming a late convert to it after being weaned on Bordeaux, but the high price of their recent vintages have forced seeking alternatives.

Ray, not sure where to begin, but I can see where RP is coming from. All were similar in that they had tea leaves and earth, with a long, long finish. It’s like mixing Syrah with an old Burgundy. The finish and balance were the two that won me. The wines have impressive flavor, teeth staining power, yet have a lighter body. I took brief notes which I do not have handy.

At the tasting, a gentleman named Ken, who was the original importer of Guigal to USA and had some interesting stories. Guigal would keep the wine in foundres for as long as it took to sell the wine, often sitting for 1-2 more years than normal. They would bottle after the sale. More recently, Guigal has moved toward smaller barrels as most wines are aged in. Whether this is good or bad, I don’t know.

What I can say, is that the La La’s would be a top 5 pick for me as the best wines out there. Please send me bottles of Dujac or DRC to sway me differently

Tell you what, Moses: I'm searching for a nice bottle or two of Dujac 2010 1er Cru Aux Malconsorts. If I find one, we (including all burgundy lovers here) should plan a tasting.

While this flies in the face of market conditions, my true dream wine from Vosne Romanee would be a Cros Parantoux, preferably by Emmanuel Rouget.

That description of La Mouline sounds strikingly original and honest. Love it. For what it may be worth, I scored from the oft-maligned winebid.com site a potentially great bottle of 1999 Pierre Gaillard Cote Blonde Le Cret - a parcel of vines adjacent to La Mouline. Maybe we can plan a burg and rhone tasting?

Ray Barnes wrote:Tell you what, Moses: I'm searching for a nice bottle or two of Dujac 2010 1er Cru Aux Malconsorts. If I find one, we (including all burgundy lovers here) should plan a tasting.

While this flies in the face of market conditions, my true dream wine from Vosne Romanee would be a Cros Parantoux, preferably by Emmanuel Rouget.

Thought you'd like these pictures...



This was one of two flights of Guigal Cote Rotie we had that night

That is a line-up to be treasured indeed. Gotta say, I love the color of the Echezeaux, truly sublime!
I'm guessing 4 La Landonnes and 2 La Moulines, no La Turques?

Ray Barnes wrote:I'm guessing 4 La Landonnes and 2 La Moulines, no La Turques?

There were a few La Turques in the 2nd flight, but the picture is too blurry to bother posting.