2000 Cote Rotie La Turque

Very young and almost jammy, the 2000 E. Guigal Côte-Rôtie La Turque shows lots of classy oak and vanilla that haven’t integrated with the earthy, cassis slanted fruit. Medium to full bodied, this is balanced, rich and long.

93% Syrah, 7% Viognier, flint and limestone soil, fermented in stainless steel vats, 3 week cuvaison. Crimson. More defined and slightly more austere than Mouline. Lots of acidity and tannin but absolutely no shortage of fully ripe fruit. Confident wine that is still a teenager. Big and bold. Long, dry finish. (JR)

Deep ruby-red. Sappy aromas of red berries, roasted nuts and sexy oak spices, with complicating notes of brown spices and mocha. Sweeter and larger-boned than La Mouline but without quite the same finesse and density of texture. Spreads out and lingers impressively on the back end, but the tannins are a bit harder than those of La Mouline. Or is there simply less mid-palate flesh here?