E. Guigal La Mouline Cote Rotie 2019

E. Guigal La Mouline Côte Rôtie 2019 is an extraordinarily voluptuous, complex, and iconic red wine sourced from the legendary 1-hectare natural amphitheater plot within the Côte Blonde. Composed of approximately 89% Syrah co-fermented with 11% Viognier from vines averaging 75 years of age, this flagship cuvée undergoes a meticulous 40 to 42 months of maturation in 100% new French oak barriques. In the glass, it exhibits a brilliant ruby-red hue with deep vermillion tints. The intensely aromatic and ethereal nose explodes with a kaleidoscopic bouquet of fresh violets, wild blackberries, ripe cassis, and black raspberry, beautifully layered with complex nuances of smoked bacon, black tapenade, espresso bean, and exotic woodsmoke. On the palate, the wine is medium-to-full-bodied, showing an unmatched fluid coherence and a sensuous, weightless concentration. Its incredibly silky, caressing texture effortlessly balances an opulent core of dark forest fruits with tightly woven, fine-grained tannins and a refreshing line of mineral-driven acidity, culminating in a strikingly long, persistent finish accented by a touch of dark chocolate and savory five-spice.

Food Pairing: Pairs elegantly with rosemary-infused roasted rack of lamb, roasted duck breast with cherry reduction, venison stew, or pan-seared squab.

100 Points - Jeb Dunnuck

The 2019 Côte Rôtie La Mouline is a bigger, richer Côte Rôtie. Co-fermented with a solid chuck of Viognier and around 85% destemmed (the same as the La Turque), this full-bodied effort has a kaleidoscope-like bouquet of bloody black and blue fruits, tapenade, salted meat, woodsmoke, and a touch of violets. This cuvée is always an exotic wine, and the 2019 is no exception, offering full-bodied richness, a layered, multi-dimensional mouthfeel, plenty of structure, and a great finish.

97 Points - James Suckling

Great nose of summer flowers and ripe blackberries with a glaze of toasty oak. A very graceful wine in spite of all the power and concentration. Feels almost weightless until you get to the finish where you feel the enormous structure that lurks just below the surface. A cuvee of 89% syrah and 11% viognier. Matured in 100% new oak for 42 months. Drink or hold.

97 Points - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate