E. Guigal Cote Rotie La Landonne 2019

The 2019 E. Guigal "La Landonne" is a monumental and titan-like expression of Côte-Rôtie, hailing from one of the region's most celebrated single-vineyard sites on the Côte Brune. The 2019 vintage is hailed as one of the finest in history, with critics frequently awarding it perfect 100-point scores. Known for its extreme concentration and structural mass, it presents an opaque, midnight-purple hue and an explosive bouquet of crème de cassis, black truffles, and smoked meats, layered with intense notes of graphite, crushed stones, and espresso. On the palate, the wine is full-bodied and profoundly powerful, featuring a uniquely dense, architectural framework of firm, ripe tannins. Unlike its siblings, La Landonne contains no Viognier, resulting in a purely masculine Syrah that is built for decades of cellaring. Aged for 40 months in 100% new French oak, it concludes with an endless, savory finish.

100 Points - Jeb Dunnuck

As always, the 2019 Côte Rôtie La Landonne is all Syrah that was not destemmed and will spend four years in new French oak. A wine with perfection written all over it, it's one of the most impressive barrel samples to ever pass this critic's lips. Deep purple/black-hued with a massive, full-bodied, brooding style, it has classic smoky, meaty black fruits, a touch of iron, graphite, tobacco, and pepper, building tannins, and a huge finish. This is pure brilliance in Syrah, yet as with just about every vintage here, it will require a solid decade of bottle age.

100 Points - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

The impenetrably dark 2019 Cote Rotie La Landonne represents the essence of this fabled lieu-dit, combining peppery, herbal notions with espresso and roasted meat, all carried by ample plum and black cherry fruit. It's full-bodied, concentrated, richly tannic and long on the finish—simply a superb wine that should be flirting with perfection when it is released in a couple of years.

97 Points - James Suckling

Still very youthful, this has a deep nose of smoke, bitter chocolate and herbal liqueur. The gigantic tannin structure on the palate will need many years of further aging to completely resolve, but the tannins are fine which gives the super-long finish an extraordinary texture, like old-fashioned velvet. So much smoke and crushed rock character! A pure syrah which is then fermented with 100% whole bunches. Matured in 100% new oak for 42 months.

97 Points - Wine Spectator

Firing on all cylinders, this simmers with massive power and range. Boasts a dark, brooding core of black plum, fig paste, strappy black licorice and fruitcake flavors supported by a formidable iron spine. Chewy in feel, with grilled aniseed and warm mesquite smoke adding salty sweetness. Though its tannins are mellowing, this still has a lifetime ahead in the cellar. A showstopper.