Guigal is the most famous produer in Côte Rôtie and one of the finest in the Rhône Valley. It was founded in 1946 by Etienne Guigal, following his departure from Vidal-Fleury, where he had worked for just under twenty years. His son, Marcel, joined the company in 1961 and is now the head of the company.
Guigal pioneered the notion of single vineyard Côte Rôties and his 3 most famous wines, La Landonne, La Mouline and La Turque are amongst the most sought after wines in the world today.
Marcel Guigal’s attitude to winemaking is typical of the simple genius that one seems to stumble upon when looking at any of the world’s greatest winemakers – low yields, organic viticulture and little or no intervention in the cellars – in short, a respect for nature and a passion for the wine itself.
100 Points Robert Parker Wine Advocate
The 2003 Côte Rôtie la Landonne continues to blow me away every time I taste it and it’s a desert island wine for me. One of the stars of this extreme vintage, it offers sensational levels of fruit and decadence, perfumed, intense aromatics, beautiful freshness and a to-die-for texture and finish. Still youthful, with masses of sweet tannin, it’s nevertheless a a heavenly drink today.
98 Points Wine Spectator
Plush and smoky, with loads of flesh carrying black olive, fig, tobacco, currant and game notes. The broad, powerful finish shows a very roasted quality, with dark, smoky bacon and fig notes and an exotic hint of spice. This is a huge wine that only shows bits of what it will eventually offer.