E.GUIGAL Côtes du Rhône, Red, 2018

(Southern Rhône)

This wine is of consistently high quality in all vintages. Connoisseurs will enjoy its classic expression of the Syrah grape variety combined with the Grenache grape.

« Vintage after vintage, the Collection wines have become symbols which perfectly illustrate the family’s ethos of supreme quality. Careful ageing, together with the meticulous attention paid every day by Marcel and Philippe Guigal to the selection and blending processes, bring to the fore the consistency and excellence of the great appellations of the Rhône Valley »

Soil type

Varied soil, sediment, limestone, granite. Pebbles and Alluvia.

Grape variety

50% Syrah, 40% Grenache, 10% Mourvèdre.

Average age of vines

35 years.

Winemaking

Traditional winemakeing methods, temperature controlled fermentation. Long soaking on the skins.

Ageing

1 ½ years in oak foudres.

Average yield

40 Hl / hectare.

Average annual production

About 4.000.000 bottles.

Tasting

Eye : Deep and dark red. Shiny.

Nose : Fresh fruits with red berries and spices.

Palate : Full, round and racy. Rounded and smooth tannins. A fullbodied, rich and intensely aromatic wine.

Overall : Full with a long finish and plenty of elegance and finesse due to the well balanced tannins and fruit.

Our comment

This classic wine offers top quality year in year out.

Vintages 2017

JEB DUNNUCK

Score : 89

I’ll cover the majority of reds from this great estate in the Northern Rhône report, but I was able to taste the 2017 Côtes du Rhône for the Southern Rhône report. Always a solid value as well as an impeccably made wine, the 2017 offers a medium ruby color as well as pretty notes of black cherries and crunchy raspberry fruits intermixed with lots of peppery garrigue and spice. It displays the charming, Provençal, medium-bodied style of the vintage nicely and is ideal for enjoying over the coming 3-4 years.

THE WINE ADVOCATE

Score : (89 - 91)

The Guigals predict volumes of only 3.5 million bottles for the 2017 Cotes du Rhone, as good wine was harder to source than in 2016. It's still bright and primary, with cherry fruit seeming a bit one-dimensional at this stage, although there's a welcome hint of almond paste on the crisp finish. Joe Czerwinski

Consumption

Drink/keep

Serving temperature

16°C to 18°C.

Ageing potential

8 years.

Food and wine matching cold meats, meat, game bird and cheese