Cote Roti La Turque 2018 E.Guigal

Tasting Notes

The first sensation is smoke. Bacon fat, a tapenade of black olives, crushed violets and waves of dark berries and white pepper; the 2018 is dense on the palate, with the iron tinge expected from Côte Brune slate, but the Viognier component pulls out all the flavors. The tannins are still dense. The finish feels characteristic notes of roasted, almost charred meat. At this stage, this is a wine of presence rather than finesse.

Grape Varieties

La Turque has a straightforward composition:

• 93% Syrah, structural backbone.
• 7% Viognier, fermented together with Syrah.

Why co-ferment white and red grapes? Viognier stabilizes the color, softens the tannins and imparts floral, apricot aromas. Viognier is less present in La Mouline and more present in La Landonne. La Turque is somewhere in the middle.

Cellaring Potential

This wine should be cellared and drunk between 2028 and 2050, with a peak likely in the mid-2030s; 42 months in new oak, concentrated 2018 fruit and Côte Brune tannins point to longevity; store at 12-14°C. If opened in its youth, it will be powerful but closed.

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.