Maison Guigal, Rhone Valley with Tasting notes

Maison Guigal

Étienne Guigal, father of Marcel and grandfather of Philippe, arrived in Ampuis in 1927 to work for the firm of Vidal-Fleury, later became their cellar-master, and left to set up his own firm at the beginning of 1946. Relations between him and his old employers remained cordial, and when the daughter of the late M. Joseph Vidal-Fleury decided to sell her patrimony in 1986, after M. Batier retired as managing director, it was to the Guigals that she offered first refusal. Vidal-Fleury is now owned by Guigal but continues an autonomous existence.

Maison Guigal is today run by Marcel, only child of Étienne and his wife. Marcel joined his father in 1961. He had to halt his studies when Étienne abruptly went blind and so was never able to take an oenological degree. Nevertheless he has read much on the subject since, travelled widely to California and elsewhere, and several times in the earlier days worked as stagiaire with others in the area. But as he says: his best professor was his father. "My father was a genius with red wine. I have made it my business to bring our white wines up to the same level."

Étienne Guigal, who passed away in 1988, was a gentle, relaxed, sprightly but somewhat shy man. The expanding renown of his wines, and the resultant publicity and visitors this brought with it always seems a little bit of a surprise to him. Marcel, tall, greying, sporting gold-rimmed glasses and the inevitable casquette is a man of passion. Somewhat more énervé in his youth, he has always been more articulate than his father. He is now both welcoming and forthcoming, a fund of information and insight into his own wines and Côte Rôtie in general, with an infinite curiosity about Syrah and other wines of Australia, California and elsewhere. What does he think about the expansion of the Côte Rôtie vignoble? We did not approve of the extension onto the plateau in the late 1960s and the 1970s, he says. The quality of the wine leaves much to be desired. But on the other hand we are heartily in favour of the more recent resurrection of the old vineyards which used to lie on the slope. A new generation is clearing the scrub and planting vines for the first time for over a century. This we indeed welcome.

In the heart of the Côte Rôtie vignoble are the two famous Côtes, the Brune and the Blonde. There are perhaps no more than a dozen hectares under vine in each. The main climats in the Côte Brune are La Viaillière, Côte Rosier, La Turque, La Pommière, La Chevalière, La Côte Boudin, Le Pavillon Rouge and La Landonne. Those of the Côte Blonde are La Chatillonne, La Grande Plantée, Grand Clos and La Mouline. Of these Maison Guigal have the monopoly of three.

The total family holding is 14 hectares, acquired painstakingly, piece by piece over the years. The surface area in La Mouline is a hectare and a half acquired from a member of the Dervieux family in the early 1960s. That in La Landonne measures three hectares on the cadastre (the local land register) but there are presently only two under vine. This vineyard was formerly owned by 17 separate growers. "You can't imagine the trouble we had to go through to acquire it. It took us 10 years, buying each plot individually. But I have no doubt it will be worthwhile," Marcel Guigal said at the outset. The Turque vineyard used to belong to a curious character called André Cachet. He refused to comply with all the bureaucracy which went with the introduction of appellation contrôlée in the 1930s and let his vines decay into weeds. Vidal-Fleury bought the land in 1974 and replanted it in 1980. Guigal later took the vineyard over. The first vintage was 1985.

Guigal's three top wines are names after these three lieux-dits. La Mouline was first launched in 1966 and they currently make some 4,500-6,000 bottles a year. La Landonne was introduced in 1978. Today some 10,000 bottles are produced. The Guigals have more vineyards in the two côtes, at Le Pavillon and La Pommière for instance, and from these they produce their Château d'Ampuis. Additionally there is a Côte Rôtie, Brune et Blonde, helped by the wine from grapes brought in from other suppliers in the area.

All these wines are of exceptional quality. The Brune et Blonde is a very fine, new oaky Côte Rôtie. Marcel Guigal will tell you that the flavour of Côte Rôtie should combine blackberry, mulberry and a little raspberry. "Never blackcurrant. That is Hermitage." La Mouline, grown in soil of limestone, mica and flint debris in the Côte Blonde, and with the benefit of some 11% Viognier (in volume; there is some 13% in terms of vines on the slope) is a wine of intense flavour, less structured than the Landonne, which evolves after 8-10 years in bottle into something of great complexity and delicacy (in Côte Rôtie terms), with a freshness, an individuality and a herbal element which comes from the addition of the Viognier. La Landonne, on the other hand, is purely Syrah, and comes from a soil with rather less limestone in its composition. This is an altogether different wine, one of substance, richness and power, characterised by its raw Syrah fruit in its youth and not mellowing until it has attained at least 10 years of age. La Turque is even more individual. Marcel Guigal describes it as a hermaphrodite, a Brune with Blonde characteristics. It has a flavour of black cherries, rare for a Côte Rôtie. The first vintage, the 1985, was unbelievably good for a young-vine wine.

Guigal's Côte Rôtie spend longer in wood than almost any other red wine in France - up to three and a half years. Few others are as willing or as able to be so traditional in their approach. Moreover élevage is entirely in new oak. The casks are made in Burgundy from wood from the Tronçais forest. A new oak cask develops a wine's bouquet faster than the foudre, Guigal will tell you. He is not a believer in old wood. After a while the cleanliness cannot be guaranteed and there is a danger of the casks imparting undesirable taints to the wine. The wines are neither fined nor filtered.

Guigal's top Côte Rôties are wonderful wines: rich and full bodied and succulent, firm but not sturdy, and capable of lasting 20 years or more. Of the three, my favourite is La Landonne. It is the most classic. It has the most finesse.

The Tasting

I sampled the following vintages of Côte Rôtie La Landonne in Ampuis in October 2004.

Optimum Drinking

Côte Rôtie, La Landonne, 2003 2010-2025

Fine colour. Rich, perfumed, exotic nose. Not a bit burn. But echoes of caramel. Very well balanced. Medium-full body. Concentrated but not a blockbuster. Not a bit heavy. Indeed very laid-back. Lovely fruit. Rich, ripe and full of nuance. Good tannins. Good length. Fine. Will come forward reasonably soon.

Côte Rôtie, La Landonne, 2002 2007-2015

Medium colour. Lightish, flowery, fresh nose. Plenty of interest here. Medium body. Ripe. Not a lot of tannin. Despite this not being a wine of great weight they will not shorten the élevage in barrel. A wine of Burgundian size and acidity. Fragrant. Stylish. But atypical.

Côte Rôtie, La Landonne, 2001 2011-2036

Fine colour. Splendidly concentrated, rich nose. Lovely balance. Very profound. Very ripe. Fullish body. Lots of depth and dimension. Very good grip. Ripe tannins. Vigorous and very stylish. Long and complex at the end. Excellent.

Côte Rôtie, La Landonne, 2000 2009-2028

Fine colour. Rich nose. Rounder and riper than the 2001, but less depth and concentration perhaps. Touches of roast chestnuts. On the palate slightly less body, slightly less acidity. Medium-full body. Splendidly ripe and fruity. Good tannins. Not the backbone or potential for long ageing of the 2001 but certainly very delicious. Fine.

Côte Rôtie, La Landonne, 1999 2009-2030

Fine colour. A little more austere than the 2000 on the nose without having the depth and volume of the 2001. But very subtle and lovely nevertheless. Lots of fragrant, classy fruits. Medium-full body. Balanced and quite concentrated. Very good grip. This has lots of finesse. Ripe tannins. Long. Complex. Flavours of old roses and raspberries. Beautifully harmonious. Lovely finish. Very fine.

Côte Rôtie, La Landonne, 1998 2007-2020

Medium-full colour. Quite a high-toned, flowery nose. Medium-full weight. Fresh. Just a little tannin. Fragrant. Good acidity. This is a bit more austere than the 1999. A little less ripe, less fat and less complex. Very good indeed.

Côte Rôtie, La Landonne, 1997 2007-2030

Slightly more colour than the 1998. Rich, ripe, spicy nose. The new oak is still apparent. Fat and meaty. Fullish body. Abundant. Still just a little tannin. Good grip. This is long and satisfying on the follow-through. Fine plus.

Côte Rôtie, La Landonne, 1996 Now-2016

Medium to medium-full colour. Soft, aromatic nose. Very flowery. More evolved than the wines above. This is now ready. Medium to medium-full body. Fresh, round, ripe and succulent, but not a lot of volume and depth. But it is attractively balanced and not a bit short. Very good.

Côte Rôtie, La Landonne, 1995 Now-2025

Medium-full colour. Now mature. Ripe nose. Quite concentrated. Good depth here. Fullish body. Plenty of grip. Plenty of fruit. Balanced. Now softening. But vigorous, long and complex on the palate. Very classy. Just about ready. Fine. A wine for game, says Marcel Guigal.

Côte Rôtie, La Landonne, 1988 Now-2025

Medium-full colour. Still very fresh. Very lovely, aromatic nose. Principally made up of all sorts of exotic woods. Full bodied, rich, balanced, complex and classy. Very ripe. Excellent grip. Still very vigorous. This is quite lovely. Very, very long and complex. Very, very lovely finish. Excellent. Will keep for ages.

Côte Rôtie, La Landonne, 1985 Now-2018

Medium-full colour. No sign of age. Splendid nose. Rich, fat and opulent. Fully mature now. Medium-full body. Good grip. Round and ripe and seductive on the palate. It is not quite as vigorous, complex and classy as the 1988, but it is plump, ripe and disarmingly delicious. A wine of great charm. Very long. Fine plus.

Côte Rôtie, La Landonne, 1983 Now-2020

The biggest, most tannic of all the Landonnes. Fullish, vigorous colour. Still quite firm on the nose. Yet very rich and concentrated underneath. Not a bit hard or sturdy. Full body. Still some tannin. And the tannins are not as sophisticated as they are today. Very good grip though, and no lack of fruit. But slightly burly at the end. Better on the nose than on the palate. A wine for food. I prefer the 1988 and the 1985.

Côte Rôtie, La Landonne, 1979 Drink Soon

Medium to medium-full colour. Delicious fragrant, flowery nose. But by no means a blockbuster. Medium body. Ripe, but not delicate. Fully ready. Classy and intense. A feminine Landonne. Long. Harmonious. Surprisingly good. The vines were only 5 years old at the time.

Côte Rôtie, La Landonne, 1978 Now-2020

The first year of harvest. Four year old vines. But 25 hl/ha. Good fresh, fullish colour. Lovely nose. Splendidly classy and concentrated. Great class. Very complex and intense. This is at least as good as the best of the above. Fullish body. Vigorous, harmonious and very, very long. Splendid. Plenty of life ahead of it.