1985 E. Guigal Côte-Rôtie La Landonne Côte-Rôtie Rhône France Wine Tasting Note

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1985
100
Holy Moly! What a wine!!! La Landonne takes the longest to come around of the three La La wines, but it is worth the wait. Loaded with iron, earth, smoke, crushed stone, pepper, dark cherry, blackberry and red plum liqueur, this is one of those compelling wines. Full-bodied and intense, the wine coats your palate with waves of smoky fruit, freshness and power. The seamless finish hangs with you for well over 60 seconds. Not all of the pricey wines are worth the price of the ticket. This one is!

Holy Moly! What a wine!!! La Landonne takes the longest to come around of the three La La wines, but it is worth the wait. Loaded with iron, earth, smoke, crushed stone, pepper, dark cherry, blackberry and red plum liqueur, this is one of those compelling wines. Full-bodied and intense, the wine coats your palate with waves of smoky fruit, freshness and power. The seamless finish hangs with you for well over 60 seconds. Not all of the pricey wines are worth the price of the ticket. This one is!

3,794 Views   Tasted
Few wines reach this level of quality. This mind blowing cornucopia of flavor, aromatics, fruits, and rich, exotic textures is impossible to ignore. At 30 years of age, this is really coming on strong. It's scary to think, but it will probably be even better in a decade, or longer! The older I get, or is it the older Guigal La Landonne gets, I continue to gain a greater appreciation of this vineyard from Guigal, placing it above La Turque and even La Mouline in certain vintages.

Few wines reach this level of quality. This mind blowing cornucopia of flavor, aromatics, fruits, and rich, exotic textures is impossible to ignore. At 30 years of age, this is really coming on strong. It's scary to think, but it will probably be even better in a decade, or longer! The older I get, or is it the older Guigal La Landonne gets, I continue to gain a greater appreciation of this vineyard from Guigal, placing it above La Turque and even La Mouline in certain vintages.

4,515 Views   Tasted
Living proof that with age, there are no perfect wines, just perfect bottles. Sadly, this was not up to the best examples of 1985 Guigal La Landonne. The nose was lightly muted and the wine lacked the usual levels of complexity and concentration. This was very good, but I have tasted much better examples of this normally stunning wine.

Living proof that with age, there are no perfect wines, just perfect bottles. Sadly, this was not up to the best examples of 1985 Guigal La Landonne. The nose was lightly muted and the wine lacked the usual levels of complexity and concentration. This was very good, but I have tasted much better examples of this normally stunning wine.

3,081 Views   Tasted
This is filled with spice, black fruit, soy, leather, olives, smoke, earth and coco. This is a serious, concentrated wine that smells and feels intense. In the mouth, this full bodied wine offers layers of spicy black fruit, mineral infused fruit. This is a very meaty wine that’s bigger than the 85 La Mouline but not as exotic.

This is filled with spice, black fruit, soy, leather, olives, smoke, earth and coco. This is a serious, concentrated wine that smells and feels intense. In the mouth, this full bodied wine offers layers of spicy black fruit, mineral infused fruit. This is a very meaty wine that’s bigger than the 85 La Mouline but not as exotic.

3,249 Views   Tasted
Crushed stone, iron, cooked meat, spice, blackberry, black cherry liqueur, earth and pepper aromas were in full force with a minimum of swirling. Dense, thick, rich and concentrated, this pure, intense, structured, powerful Cote Rotie is still young. With a density of flavor and no hard edges, this animalistic, sauvage wine ends with a long, dark, mineral and pure, spicy, intense black raspberry finish.

Crushed stone, iron, cooked meat, spice, blackberry, black cherry liqueur, earth and pepper aromas were in full force with a minimum of swirling. Dense, thick, rich and concentrated, this pure, intense, structured, powerful Cote Rotie is still young. With a density of flavor and no hard edges, this animalistic, sauvage wine ends with a long, dark, mineral and pure, spicy, intense black raspberry finish.

3,691 Views   Tasted
Very slightly corked. The muted notes of black fruits, BBQ smoke, and earthy, mushroom scents were there, but a perfect bottle would have taken this to a completely different level due to its thick, dense, extremely concentrated, old vine intensity.

Very slightly corked. The muted notes of black fruits, BBQ smoke, and earthy, mushroom scents were there, but a perfect bottle would have taken this to a completely different level due to its thick, dense, extremely concentrated, old vine intensity.

2,707 Views   Tasted

When to Drink Guigal Cote Rotie, Anticipated Maturity, Decanting Time

Some Guigal Cote Rotie can be enjoyed on the young side. The Brune & Blondeshould be decanted at least 1 hour or more, Guigal Ampuis 1-3 hours and the Guigal La La's can be decanted 3-4 hours when young, allowing the wines to soften and open their perfume. Older vintages might need very little decanting, just enough to remove the sediment.

Guigal Cote Rotie is usually better with 3-5 years of cellaring for the Brune & Blonde, 5-10 years of cellaring for the Guigal Ampuis, and the top 3 wines, the La La's need at least 12-15 years of cellaring. At their best, the top Cote Rotie from Guigal can evolve for 25-45 years of age, depending on the wine and the vintage.

Serving Guigal Cote Rotie with Wine, Food, Pairing Tips

Guigal is best served at 15.5 degrees Celsius, 60 degrees Fahrenheit. The cool, almost cellar temperature gives the wine more freshness and lift.

Guigal is best paired with all types of classic meat dishes, veal, pork, beef, lamb, duck, game, roast chicken, roasted braised, barbecue, and grilled dishes. Heavy dishes like Chinese or Asian dishes, hearty fish courses like tuna, salmon, mushrooms, sausage, cassoulet, tomatoes, eggplant, and pasta are perfect for Guigal Cote Rotie wines.

Condrieu, the white wine from Guigal is just right for a myriad of fish, shellfish, seafood, and raw courses like sashimi and sushi, as well as cheese.

Yes, I know the Guigal La La wines are tremendously expensive. But they offer some of the best wine-tasting experiences from any vineyard in any country! They are also in contention to win an award as the most consistently outstanding wine in the world.

In the vast majority of vintages, these wines are truly stunning. Next, consider that they are produced in incredibly small amounts, ranging from 400 to 800 cases for the entire world. Fans of these wines are lucky, as the extraordinary high quality, character, and tiny production have not really caught on with most consumers.

Frankly, these wines sell for prices that are cheap for all they offer. If you're ever going to buy expensive wine, to see what all the fuss is about, these are the wines to buy!

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