This was from a 375ml bottle bought on release. Purple in color, slightly flat, opaque. The nose is dusty with black cherries, black raspberries, and some roasted meat. Full bodied. On the palate, this is past maturity but still with plenty to offer. Nice complexity. Black raspberry fruit with underlying char. Good balance. Nice finish. These should be consumed soon. Better with good. Chili would work well.
This is the basic Cote Rotie from purchased fruit. It is 96% Syrah with 4% Viognier that saw 36 months in barrel, half of that new oak. Purple in color, opaque and bright. The nose is very nice with black raspberries, black pepper, black olives and slight smoke. Full bodied. Medium tannins. On the palate, black raspberries with underlying char. Plenty of depth. Long finish. This is delicious on its own and should be very food friendly. It would be perfect with a steak. Drink over the next ten to twelve years.
With all of the top level wines from Guigal, sometimes, this one gets lost in the mix. That's a shame because this is am outstanding wine and an excellent value in Cote Rotie. Purple in color with some ruby hues, mostly opaque and bright. The nose is a bit earthy with black raspberries, spices, black olives and slight dark chocolate. Medium to full bodied. Medium tannins. Good balance. On the palate, this is on the leaner side but still has a great delivery. Boysenberries, char and some earthiness. Good finish. This seems to be about at peak but should have another ten years. Goo
Consumed on the Celebrity Millennium off the coast of Alaska. Deep garnet in color, mostly opaque and bright. The nose is earthy with black raspberries and slight bacon fat. Full bodied. Medium tannins. On the palate, black cherries with black raspberries and underlying char. Long finish. This is starting to show a bit of maturity but will continue to develop more. It drinks great on its own, but better with food. Cassoulet would be classic, but this will go well with Indian food, too. Drink over the next ten to fifteen years.
Having just recently tasted the 2017, it was interesting to try the 2018. For my tastes, this was just a bit better than the 2017, but that is probably because it is more open and accessible. Purple in color with ruby swirls, mostly clear and bright. Very nice nose with black raspberries, black pepper, spice, slight fresh cut lumber and slight violets. Medium to full bodied. Firm tannins. On the palate, this is drinking well if young. Lots of black raspberry fruit. Depth but tight. Underlying char and spice. A fair amount of oak on the finish. This will get better and holding ano
