Cote Roti La Turque 1998 E.Guigal

Tasting Notes

The first thing you notice about La Turque 1998 is the nose. Violets, a tapenade of black olives, smoked bacon and veins of iron from the Côte Brune slate. The flavors are rich but not heavy. Black cherry and black currant envelop the fine chalky tannins, and the characteristic Guigal oak (aged for around 38-42 months in new barriques) is fully integrated. The finish is long, savory and mineral. Beautifully drinkable right now.

Cellaring Potential

Drinking between now and about 2032, the 1998 is at full maturity, the tannins have settled and secondary notes of leather and truffle overlap the fruit. In well-preserved bottles (at 12-14°C), it will keep comfortably for another 10 years. But there's no need to rush, nor to wait.

The Producer

Guigal is a prestigious Côte Rôtie producer. Étienne founded the house in Ampuis in 1946 after many years as head winemaker of Vidal-Fleury, which Guigal acquired in 1984. His son Marcel created a legend when Robert Parker endorsed the 'La La' wines in the 1980s. The cellar is now run by Philippe Guigal. What makes this house unique? He has his own barrel factory and is actively involved in aging his single-vineyard wines for around 38-42 months in new oak. I don't think any other producer is committed to Côte-Rôtie at this level.

Terroir & Climate

La Turque is located on the Côte Brune side of the Côte Rôtie, and the soil is schist containing iron oxide. This iron gives the Côte-Brune wines a darker, more structured character than the granitic Côte Blonde opposite. Why it's important. The slopes are steep, south-facing and literally soaked in sunshine. The local north wind (bise) keeps the vines from baking. The heat helps them ripen and the wind keeps them fresh.

Winemaking

Guigal's signature technique is élevage. La Turque is aged 38-42 months in 100% new French oak barriques (small 225-liter barrels). That's a long period and a lot of new oak, but the concentration of fruit absorbs it. Fermentation takes place in sealed stainless steel for about three weeks followed by racking. One detail worth knowing is that Guigal makes the barrels themselves and manages them from forest to bottle. Few domains do this.

Food Pairing

La Turque favors savory, game-like dishes with a heady sense of smoke and pepper. Try it:

• Roast duck with black olive sauce
• Venison saddle with juniper and red wine sauce
• Slow-cooked shoulder of lamb.
• Aged Comté or Beaufort.

Serve at 16-18°C. Decant for at least 1 hour, ideally 2 hours for the 2021. The wine is still youthful.