Guigal Côte-Rôtie ‘La Turque’ 2017

Maker: The Guigal domain was founded in 1946 by Etienne Guigal in Ampuis; a small, ancient village at the heart of the Côte-Rôtie appellation. It is overlooked by unique vineyards where vines and wine have been celebrated for over 2,400 years. Following his arrival in 1924 at the age of 14, the founder went on to make wine for 67 vintages in the Côte-Rôtie and, at the beginning of his career, took part in the development of the Vidal-Fleury establishment (Vidal-Fleury is the longest continuously operating winery and négociant in the Rhone Valley founded in 1781). Ampuis lies to the south of Lyon at the very heart of the Côte-Rôtie appellation. Here, on the stark and steep terrain formed by the Rhône River cultivated in terraces since ancient times, the Guigal family works the greatest appellations of the Rhône Valley with both passion and perseverance. Today, the domain is made up of numerous exceptional vineyards: Côte-Rôtie, Condrieu, Hermitage, Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Saint-Joseph, Crozes-Hermitage… Outstanding plots producing prestigious wines which showcase the excellence of this domain. In 1961, a still very young Marcel Guigal took over management of the domain when his father was struck by temporary but total blindness. He was joined in 1973 by his wife, Bernadette and they worked hand-in-hand to expand the family business. In 1975, their son Philippe was born and today he is the domain’s oenologist. Together with his wife, Eve, he represents the third generation and continues the family’s lifetime endeavour to be at the service of the greatest wines of the Rhône valley. Vineyard: Planted on slopes by the Romans 24 centuries ago, this illustrious vineyard is made up of the Côte Brune, upstream of the Reynard and the Côte Blonde which is downstream. The vineyard features terraced vines reminiscent of a Roman amphitheater, growing on gneis soil with lightly coloured silicone and limestone loess. Planted almost exclusively with Syrah, the Côte Brune produces a powerful, intense wine. Thanks to a dash of Viognier which compliments the Syrah, the Côte Blonde is more subtle. There is a charming legend attached to this appellation and the Château d’Ampuis: “the sire of this place had two daughters, one with hair as dark as the night and the other blonde like a field of wheat. When they got married he endowed each with two of his best slopes. This is how we inherited the Côte Brune and the Côte Blonde.” Winestyle/Cuvee: Côte-Rôtie “La Turque” is one of the flagship of the Domaine GUIGAL. A powerful wine with spicy notes, its terroirs from côte brune with “blond accents” lends it a great elegance. The soil composition is limestone with schistes, and clay soil abundant in iron oxide. With 93% Syrah and 7% Viognier an average vine age of 25 years. Winemaking occurs in thermoregulated stainless steel tanks with gentle automated punching down, accompanied by a four-week maceration during primary fermentation. The wine sees an extensive 42 months in new oak barrels, contributing to the wine’s complexity and depth. Despite the challenging conditions, the vineyard maintains a consistent average yield of 35 Hl per hectare, a testament to the meticulous care and expertise devoted to viticulture. Tasting: Nose – Red Berries, Smoked Meats, Dark Chocolate Small red fruit, blackberry, morello cherry Intensely aromatic, powerful and elegant. Palate – Full-Bodied, Pure Fruited, Blackberries Supple attack with a balanced supple structure, concentration and elegant tannins. Fully expressive of the terroir. Finish – Tobacco, Mouthcoating Tannins, Vanilla Pod The fruit is sweeter and juicier than the Mouline and this has a long, sappy finish with plentiful tannin but still elegant. One of the legendary vintages for this cuvée is the 2017 Côte Rôtie La Turque, a blend of 93% Syrah and 7% Viognier from a tiny parcel in the Côte Brune lieu-dit. Always aged 4 years in new French oak, it offers a dense, saturated purple color as well as slightly more masculine notes of blackberries, smoked meats, dark chocolate, and graphite. Full-bodied, beautifully concentrated, and perfectly balanced, with incredible purity of fruit, it already offers pleasure but will ideally be given 5-7 years of bottle age. It will deliver the goods for 30 to 40 years. It’s the star of the show in 2017 and one of the wines of the vintage. – Jeb Dunnuck, 100 Points. You can almost smell the fresh clay, immediately a different register compared to La Mouline