E. GUIGAL, CÔTE-RÔTIE
RHÔNE VALLEY, FRANCE 2021
WHY BUY: The most sought-after wines of the Northern Rhône (and some of the most collected in the world) have landed: Guigal’s 2021 Côte-Rôtie portfolio is officially available, and the trio of single-vineyard expressions is as electrifying as ever. Classic, powerful, and built for decades, these are benchmark bottles for collectors and Rhône devotees alike. Produced the Guigal way — that is to say, obsessively, slowly, and methodically (with, most famously, a long élevage of around 42 months in new French oak) — these are bottles that privilege beauty and purity over commerce and profit. This is the pinnacle of Côte-Rôtie, folks, and the pinnacle, too, of Rhône Valley reds.
WHAT THEY'RE SAYING: James Suckling swooned over the La Landonne 2021, awarding it 98 points and praising its "intense power,” which is nevertheless "channeled and restrained,” combining "structure and layering with a subtle touch … [and] fine-grained tannins.” He was nearly as enamored of the 97-point La Mouline, a "fine-tuned, precise and layered” wine with "ultra fine tannins" and "pleasant harmony." Wine Spectator and Suckling both gave the La Turque 96 points, with the latter writing: "in spite of the cool 2021 vintage, this complex Côte Rôtie has excellent smoke, tar and pepper aromas plus some gingerbread and candied oranges.” Wine Spectator also weighed in on the Château d’Ampuis, and came away in admiration, commending, in its 95-point review, a "dark, thick, blockbuster style" with "iron-edged tannins [that] are firm yet not chunky."
OUR TASTING NOTES: The La Landonne is a wine of majestic gravitas. It exudes power and intensity and persistence, but all of it is channeled through fine-grained tannins that know exactly how to behave in polite company. You have to marvel at the fact that every element seems to be in perfect proportion. This is painstaking winemaking that manages to come across as effortless. The La Mouline takes a more seductive approach, whispering rather than declaring its intentions with red berries and warm herbs that dart and dip around hints of fire pit and raw cocoa. Its tannins are so fine as to be almost weightless. But make no mistake: this is a wine of enormous sneaky power. The La Turque proves that even in a cool vintage like 2021, great terroir finds a way to express itself: smoke and tar mix and mingle with unexpected notes of gingerbread and candied oranges, creating complexity that keeps evolving in the glass, to the point that you feel as if you’re only just getting to know the wine after the first hour. The Château d'Ampuis is the outlier among the La La’s, but it delivers immense pleasure and charm all the same, with layers of sweet tapenade and steeped cherry wrapped in espresso and lavender. There’s excellent structure here, but, true to form, it never feels imposing or rigid.
THE STORY: There is legacy, and then there is legacy. The land owned by the Guigal family, maker of some of the world's greatest wines, and the reference point for the Rhône, doesn't go back a hundred or two or three hundred years. It goes back to a time before Christ walked the earth — 2,400 years, to be exact. This is Ampuis, a small village in the heart of the Côte-Rôtie appellation, with a terrain as rich and revered as any. The winery was birthed 75 years ago, and the quality and character of that terroir is communicated, and with extraordinary passion, in every bottle the family (now in its third generation of making wine) produces.
FUN FACT: Guigal enjoys a rare distinction: it's the only winery in all of the Rhône with its own cooperage, from which an estimated 850 barrels are produced annually.
OUR GUARANTEE: As always, we only buy and source directly from the estate to ensure that your wines will arrive with pristine provenance. Don't hesitate to secure your bottles and cases today!
*Offer NOT valid in-store. This offer is made pre-arrival, with wines estimated to be delivered to your preferred store in Winter 2025 (Dec. 21st - March 20th, 2026). With the supply chain issues that we are seeing globally, there may be some unforeseen delays which could affect the ETA. All sale prices are the lowest available at Total Wine & More and ONLY valid through Concierge Sales. No further discounts or coupons may be applied. Offer not valid in KS, MI, NE, NY, OK, or TN. This offer will expire on Sunday, December 7th, 2025.