And the tasting train keeps on rolling - this week, we're thrilled to have an extensive lineup from one of the Rhône Valley's most esteemed estates, Guigal! Since 1946, this reputed family have carved themselves one of the finest reputations in both France, and indeed the wide world of wine, creating reds and whites of both style and power - they are often seen as one of the high standard examples one should look out for from the French Syrah and Viognier scene!
Join us this Saturday (22nd October) anytime from 12pm to 2pm to delve into their brilliance! From their aromatic Viognier expressions, through to their most concentrated, lengthy Syrah bottlings, it's bound to be a delicious afternoon.
2019 Condrieu (Viognier) - $119 on special ; $130 per bottle
"Brilliant pale gold. The perfume (you can only call it that) has intense notes of violets, apricot, white peach, and citrus. Fresh and round on the palate, you feel the fat, the richness, yet the wine is so intensely dry and mineral. A harmony between freshness and fleshy roundness. A remarkable minerality." - Winemaker Notes
"The base Condrieu from Guigal always delivers and the 2019 Condrieu is stunning stuff, giving up a beautiful bouquet of ripe nectarines, orange blossom, honeysuckle, and exotic flowers. Just classic Condrieu in every way, it's medium to full-bodied, with remarkable purity, a fleshy opulence, and a great, clean finish. Readers looking for a textbook Condrieu can't go wrong with this. It should keep for 7-8 years, although I always prefer these wines in their first 4-5 years of the vintage." - 95 Points, Jeb Dunnuck
2019 Crozes-Hermitage (Syrah) - $49 on special ; $58 per bottle
"The only one of the 2019 reds to have been bottled at the time of my visit, the 2019 Crozes Hermitage is a super effort, and it should represent a terrific value. Hints of violets accent blueberries and cassis on the nose in this full-bodied, concentrated offering. Rich, velvety and a bit tannic, it's an impressive négoce bottling." - 91 Points, Robert Parker Wine Advocate
2019 St Joseph 'Lieu Dit' (Syrah) - $112 on special ; $129 per bottle
"Deep red on the eye, complex with dominant black fruit and delicate oak aromas; a pure and intense nose. On the palate, a powerful attack. Round and elegant tannins. A veritable success. Fresh and powerful. Will become more refined with age." - Winemaker Notes
"Scents of pencil shavings join heady cassis notes on the nose of Guigal's 2019 Saint-Joseph Lieu-Dit Saint-Joseph, sourced from the former estates of Grippat and de Vallouit. Aged half in new oak and half in second-fill barrels, it's full-bodied, rich and ripe, with a velvety mouthfeel and a lingering finish." - 92-94 Points, Joe Czerwinski, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
2019 St Joseph 'Vignes de l'Hospices' (Syrah) - $199 on special ; $230 per bottle
"Perennially among the best bottlings from the appellation, the 2019 Saint-Joseph Vignes de l'Hospice looks set to rival the tremendous effort bottled in 2015. Enticing scents of crushed stone, pencil shavings and cassis appear on the nose (it ages in 100% new oak), and while this full-bodied wine packs plenty of power, it also shows characteristic granite-derived restraint, delivering a tense balance between ripeness and structure. It should be a beauty, but give it time, as the tannins are prominent at this early stage of its evolution." - 96 Points, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
"Very ripe, vibrant berry fruit to the fore with good blend between the fruit and oak and a little fresh kick on the finish. No drying tannins, all ripe and well balanced. Sleek and impressive, this is very good indeed. The best vintage yet for this cuvée. 13 months in new oak barriques." - 95 Points, Decanter
2017 Chateauneuf-du-Pape Rouge - $95 on special ; $110 per bottle
// 70% Grenache, 15% Mourvèdre, 10% Syrah, 5% others.
"Deep dark red. Spices and mature red fruits on the nose. Round tannins with powerful complexity. A rich unctuous wine with notes of mature plums, hazelnuts, and red fruit." - Winemaker Notes
"The 2017 Châteauneuf-du-Pape is cut from the same cloth as the 2016 yet has a slightly more sunny, sexy style. Kirsch, peppery garrigue, and lavender notes all emerge from the glass, and it’s medium to full-bodied, has tons of character, ripe tannins, and the balance to evolve for over a decade." - 94 Points, Jeb Dunnuck
2017 Côte-Rôtie Brune et Blonde (Syrah) - $138 on special ; $160 per bottle
"The 2017 Guigal Cote Rotie Brune et Blonde is a dark ruby red color. Aromas of red berries, spices and delicate oak exude from the glass. Round soft tannins. Aromas of rasberry, blackberry and vanilla. Balance between scarcely perceptible acidity and tannins which add ageing potential and softened by long ageing in oak. Pair this wine alongside small game, red meat and cheese." - Winemaker Notes
"The 2017 Côte Rôtie Brune Et Blonde showed beautifully. It has the sunny, sexy style of the vintage in its kirsch and black raspberry fruits as well as plenty of spiced meats, dried flowers, and incense-like aromas and flavors. Medium to full-bodied, ripe, elegant, and balanced on the palate, it's already superb yet will develop more classic Côte Rôtie meatiness and spice with 2-4 years of bottle age and drink fabulously for a decade." - 92 Points, Jeb Dunnuck
2017 Hermitage (Syrah) - $128 on special ; $150 per bottle
"Aged 48 months in barrel, it’s ruby/purple-colored and has a killer nose of blackcurrants, black raspberries, smoked meats, spice box, vanillin, and espresso. Rich, full-bodied, and powerful, with background oak, loads of fruit, and ripe, sweet tannins, it shows the style of this vintage beautifully." - 94 Points, Jeb Dunnuck
"Guigal's 2017 Hermitage boasts singed leather, exotic spice and roasted meat notes, plus plenty of cedar, mocha, cherry and cassis. It's a whirl of complexity bound together on the medium to full-bodied palate by velvety, chewy tannins that give way on the finish to savory spices and a wash of ripe fruit. It should drink well for 10-15 years." - 92 Points, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
- Also available from Guigal -
2018 Cotes du Rhône Rouge - $23 on special ; RRP $26
2020 Guigal Condrieu La Doriane - $219 on special ; RRP $250
"Just about pure perfection and one of the finest Condrieu to pass my lips, the 2020 Condrieu La Doriane offers an insane bouquet of grilled pineapple, charcoal, crushed stone, acacia flowers, and white peach. It picks up an incredibly sense of salinity on the palate and is full-bodied, has blockbuster concentration, remarkable purity and focus, and a great finish. I like this beast/beauty today, but it will keep for a decade." - 99 Points, Jeb Dunnuck
"Full-bodied and very rich, but there's plenty of salinity to balance the oak work, which is robust but very high quality. Fresh and drinkable already, as flamboyant as ever and with a long finish." - 99 Points, Decanter
2018 Guigal Cote Rotie Chateau d'Ampuis - $279 on special ; RRP $330
// Syrah 93%, Viognier 7%.
"Smoky, briary and complex, the 2018 Cote Rotie Chateau d'Ampuis spent 38 months in new oak, yet it still exudes notes of blackberries and blueberries, testament to the wine's ample concentration. It's full-bodied and rich yet silky and long, with hints of mocha and brown sugar appearing on the finish. It's another beautiful vintage of this cuvée, which combines fruit from seven different parcels (three on the Cote Blonde and four on the Cote Brune)." - 95+ Points, Joe Czerwinski - PRE-ARRIVAL OFFER FOR FEB 2023 ARRIVAL (email Brent@thewineemporium.com.au if interested in placing an order!)
To purchase any of the wines in today's newsletter please use the links above, phone us on (07) 3252 1117, or email us at sales@thewineemporium.com.au - Prices valid until stock runs out or until Wednesday the 26th of October