Cote Roti La Mouline 2018 E.Guigal

Tasting Notes

The first thing that catches the eye is the nose. Violets, apricot peel and crushed raspberries are revealed by the high proportion of Syrah and Viognier co-fermented. The palate shows notes of black cherry, smoked bacon and black pepper. The tannins are present but covered by fruit. The finish displays the flamboyance characteristic of Côte Blonde. Concentrated but not heavy, the 2018 wine is one of the highlights among La Mouline's recent vintages.

Grape Varieties

The blend is approx.

• 89% Syrah
• 11% Viognier

This proportion of Viognier is the highest of the three La Las (La Mouline, La Landonne and La Turque). So why blend white grapes and Syrah? To stabilize the color, soften the tannins and add floral and stone fruit aromas and flavors. Granite and Les Côtes Blondes make La Mouline the most flavorful wine of this trio.

Cellaring Potential

Drink between 2028 and 2050; the 2018 wine is distinctive for its concentration, acidity and tannins; aged in new French oak barrels for almost 40 months; store at 12-14°C. If you open it now, you can taste the fruit and oak flavors. If you wait, spicy notes will emerge.

About E.Guigal

Ampuis is a small village on the right bank of the Rhône, and Etienne Guigal turned it into the reference point for Côte-Rôtie. Étienne Guigal started the estate there in 1946 after fifteen years working at Vidal-Fleurie, and the family bought that company outright in 1984 (a neat reversal). Today the estate owns around 45 hectares, roughly half in Côte-Rôtie, the rest spread across Condrieu, Saint-Joseph, Hermitage and Crozes-Hermitage. But Guigal is also the valley's leading merchant, handling about 40 per cent of all Côte-Rôtie and around 45 per cent of Condrieu, with total production near seven million bottles a year. Marcel Guigal runs it with his son Philippe, chief winemaker since 1997. Late harvesting is the house habit. They usually pick among the last in the appellation.

Terroir & Climate

La Mouline is produced at Côte Blonde, where granite and gneiss lie beneath a light, sandy, siliceous topsoil. The east- and southeast-facing terraces receive morning sunlight, and the stone walls reflect the accumulated heat back toward the vines. Côte Blonde wines are rich in floral notes and have intense aromas. Produced in iron-rich shale soil, Côte Brune has a deeper color and greater density.

Winemaking

After aging on the skins for up to four weeks in sealed stainless steel tanks, the wine is aged for 42 months in new French oak barrels coopered on-site at Château d'Ampuis. Thanks to an aging period longer than almost anyone else in the Côte-Rôtie region, La Mouline has such a refined flavor. It has not undergone any fining or filtration.

Food Pairing

It pairs best with game, as the wine's peppery and olive notes harmonize beautifully with the meat's flavors. Recommended pairings:

• Saddle of venison, roasted rare
• Braised leg of lamb with garlic and thyme
• Rich, flavorful game goulash

If you want something simpler alongside the wine, try aged Comté or Gruyère

To be honest, La Mouline is excellent even on its own.