Cote Roti La Turque 2020 E.Guigal

Tasting Notes

The first sensation is the nose. Violets, crushed black pepper and smoky notes of bacon fat that are characteristic of Côte Brune Syrah: 7% Viognier (co-fermentation according to tradition) lifts the flavors without softening their essence. On the palate, the 2020 wine is dense and firm with blackberry, tapenade and graphite. The tannins are powdery and long. The finish is iron-rich and savory, lingering. Patience required.

Grape Varieties

The La Turque blend is roughly as follows:

• 93% Syrah, the only black grape recognized in the Côte Rôtie.
• Viognier 7%, fermented together with Syrah.

So why ferment with white grapes? Viognier stabilizes the color and softens the tannins. La Mouline has a high proportion of Viognier (about 11%), while La Landonne has none. La Turque is somewhere in the middle.

Cellaring Potential

Drink between 2028 and 2050; the 2020 La Turque is built on dense tannins, a high concentration of fruit and a base aged for 42 months in new French oak barrels. It's still corked now; you won't touch the bottle before 2028; store it lying on its side at 12-14°C.

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.