1994 E. Guigal Côte-Rôtie La Mouline Côte-Rôtie Rhône France Wine Tasting Note

22362 Views

1994
96
Even better than the previous bottle, this is showing just great today. The nose, with its lilacs, smoked cherries, Asian spice, thyme and barbecue brings you in. The soft, luscious, elegant, fresh, crisp, red cherry and spicy plum and black raspberry palate, with all that tingly fruit, seals the deal. This is probably right in its peak drinking period.

Even better than the previous bottle, this is showing just great today. The nose, with its lilacs, smoked cherries, Asian spice, thyme and barbecue brings you in. The soft, luscious, elegant, fresh, crisp, red cherry and spicy plum and black raspberry palate, with all that tingly fruit, seals the deal. This is probably right in its peak drinking period.

3,823 Views   Tasted
Straddling the fence between sensuous and strict, the wine is more interesting on the nose, with its concoction of earth, spice, espresso, licorice, cherry griotte and floral notes. Full bodied, and on the way to softness, the wine retains a firm, almost nature in the finish.

Straddling the fence between sensuous and strict, the wine is more interesting on the nose, with its concoction of earth, spice, espresso, licorice, cherry griotte and floral notes. Full bodied, and on the way to softness, the wine retains a firm, almost nature in the finish.

3,406 Views   Tasted
This has really developed well. Over the years, the wine has filled out, softened and added layers of aromatic complexity. If I had to quibble, there is a minor note of green in the finish, but there was so much sensuous, ripe, dark red fruits, flowers, fresh herbs, earth, thyme and kirsch, with freshness and length, it did not matter. With about 30 minutes of decanting, the wine really fleshed out. It continued improving in the glass until we polished off the bottle, about 2 hours later.

This has really developed well. Over the years, the wine has filled out, softened and added layers of aromatic complexity. If I had to quibble, there is a minor note of green in the finish, but there was so much sensuous, ripe, dark red fruits, flowers, fresh herbs, earth, thyme and kirsch, with freshness and length, it did not matter. With about 30 minutes of decanting, the wine really fleshed out. It continued improving in the glass until we polished off the bottle, about 2 hours later.

3,445 Views   Tasted
With three hours of air, the wine developed much softer textures, without losing the beautiful aromatics of bacon fat, baked cherry pie, brown sugar, earth, garrigue, kirsch, peach and spice. Silky red cherries, spice and white peach is found in the sultry finish. Drink it now, or age it. But it needs more air than you might think. Working my way slowly through a case bought on release. This is the best showing yet. But I am convinced some of that has to do with the decanting, as I normally do not give many wines this much air. The wine began to fade a bit after 4 hours in the glass or decanter.

With three hours of air, the wine developed much softer textures, without losing the beautiful aromatics of bacon fat, baked cherry pie, brown sugar, earth, garrigue, kirsch, peach and spice. Silky red cherries, spice and white peach is found in the sultry finish. Drink it now, or age it. But it needs more air than you might think. Working my way slowly through a case bought on release. This is the best showing yet. But I am convinced some of that has to do with the decanting, as I normally do not give many wines this much air. The wine began to fade a bit after 4 hours in the glass or decanter.

4,141 Views   Tasted
Licorice, kirsch liqueur, jammy black cherries, flowers, peaches, truffle, earth, smoke and espresso bean aromas grab your attention and keep it there. On your palate, this concentrated, rich, intense wine fills your mouth with exotic textures and ripe, powerful, masculine, red with black fruits. This beautiful Cote Rotie ends with a fresh, black cherry, black raspberry, spice and tart kirsch finish. Fully mature, there is no reason to wait to open a bottle.

Licorice, kirsch liqueur, jammy black cherries, flowers, peaches, truffle, earth, smoke and espresso bean aromas grab your attention and keep it there. On your palate, this concentrated, rich, intense wine fills your mouth with exotic textures and ripe, powerful, masculine, red with black fruits. This beautiful Cote Rotie ends with a fresh, black cherry, black raspberry, spice and tart kirsch finish. Fully mature, there is no reason to wait to open a bottle.

3,837 Views   Tasted
The nose exploded from the glass with mint, spearmint, flowers, red and black fruits, herbs and pepper. The palate is best described as syrup of Syrah. This is a very sophisticated, elegant wine that continued improving in the glass. Is any wine more exotic than one of the La La's? Great stuff!

The nose exploded from the glass with mint, spearmint, flowers, red and black fruits, herbs and pepper. The palate is best described as syrup of Syrah. This is a very sophisticated, elegant wine that continued improving in the glass. Is any wine more exotic than one of the La La's? Great stuff!

3,710 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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