1998 E. Guigal Côtes du Rhône
Market price
Buying options
Tasting notes
The 1998 Côtes du Rhône is fully mature but certainly offers loads of pleasure. Blackberries, truffle, and peppery herbs give way to a medium-bodied, ripe, layered, nicely concentrated effort that’s drinking at point, and it’s not going to get any better. Having said that, I’ve had these wines going back to the 1970s and they hold up remarkably well.
Critic scores
Average Score
Robert Parker
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
More reviews and scores
The deep ruby/purple-colored 1998 Cotes du Rhone rouge, a blend of 50% Syrah, 30% Grenache, and 20% miscellaneous varietals, offers a moderately intense bouquet of cassis, licorice, and flowers. An amazing value, with moderate tannin, excellent concentration, and the potential to improve for several years and last for 6-8, this is a wine to purchase by the case. Importer: Fred Ek, Ex Cellars Wine Agencies, Solvang, CA; tel. (805) 686-9153
Red-ruby color. Aromas of black fruits, pepper and leather. Silky, fresh and intensely flavored, with ripe syrah notes of dark berries, leather and tobacco complicated by suggestions of Provencal herbs. Persistent and firm on the finish. Serious juice thanks to the high percentage of syrah, and a great value. (Guigal now produces a staggering 1.7 million bottles of red Cotes du Rhone; with its state-of-the-art bottling line, there are now just five bottlings done over a six-month period.)