Cat Stephani & Finna Sze | May 25, 2023
As one of the finest producers of the Rhône Valley, Guigal is irrevocably lauded as a titan of Côte-Rôtie. Any wine lover who has reveled in the smoldering beauty of these singular Syrahs will be quick to attest to their haunting allure and far-reaching demand.
Founded in 1946, Etienne Guigal's passion for the steep, Mistral-swept hills of the Northern Rhône was embedded from a young age, working the venerable vineyards of Vidal-Fleury. However, it was his pioneering spirit that would eventually come to capture the world’s attention by introducing three legendary single-vineyard Côte-Rôtie wines - the “La-Las”- La Mouline in 1966, La Landonne in 1978, and La Turque in 1985.
Made in a modern style, extracted with new oak, these compelling Syrahs were a stark relief to more rustic wines of the past. Guigal’s La La wines see 42 months in new French oak before bottling and continue on today as some of the rarest and most ardently desired wines in the world.
Hailing from the lighter soils of the Côte Blonde, the fragrant La Mouline captures a silky balance of seductive fruits and lifted florals, usually the first of which is ready to drink.
Darker and denser than La Mouline, La Turque is a supple and sensuous wine of exotic spice, made from a Côte Blonde vineyard just a stone’s throw away from the powerful La Landonne.
In addition to these iconic wines, Guigal also makes an energetic and intense wine, Ex Voto, which has quickly become a benchmark for the Hermitage appellation. The Ex Voto rouge is a stunning, 100% Syrah wine with layers of ripe black fruits, leather, spice and minerality.
