2013 E. Guigal Côte-Rôtie Brune et Blonde
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Tasting notes
All the 2013 Côte Rôties were tasted out of bottle. Starting out, the 2013 Côte Rôtie Brune Et Blonde, the largest production cuvée, has a medium-bodied, elegant, finesse-driven style as well bright acidity. With top-notch complexity in its raspberry, flowers, peppery spice, and herbal aromas and flavors, drink it anytime over the coming decade. Due to the timing of my visit (which was earlier than normal), I wasn’t able to taste a full lineup from Guigal. Nevertheless, even an abbreviated lineup from Guigal consists of more wines than just about every other producer I taste with. Looking at the 2016s, the white wines, especially from Condrieu, are brilliant and show the more fresh, vibrant style of this cooler, late vintage. The reds are very classic in style across the board. I’ll taste these again, mostly from barrel, next year as well, but this is certainly an excellent vintage. The 2015s, as I’ve written more than once now, are truly spectacular, and after tasting these wines multiple times from barrel now, I completely understand why Marcel Guigal would declare this the greatest vintage of his lifetime. These are rich, voluptuous, massive wines I think will represent a modern-day version of 1978. The 2014s continue to improve every time I taste them, which is common for this estate. Similar, perhaps, to a toned down 2012, these are charming, supple, elegant wines that are vastly more approachable than the 2013s. Lastly, the 2013s from bottle showed the backward, dark, mineral-laced profile of the vintage. They’re beautifully concentrated and terrific wines, yet the cellar is going to be your friend.
Critic scores
Average Score
Jancis Robinson MW
Jeb Dunnuck
More reviews and scores
The 2013 Cote Rotie Brune et Blonde is herbal, peppery and meaty. This was a difficult vintage according to Philippe Guigal, who says “time helps. The wines were really tough at the beginning.” It’s medium-bodied and wiry in build, with savory flavors and an astringent finish.
Bright violet. Powerful dark fruit, violet pastille, olive and candied licorice aromas are lifted and sharpened by peppery spice and smoky mineral notes. Coats the palate with nicely concentrated, smoke-tinged boysenberry, cherry liqueur and spicecake flavors that become livelier with air. Shows impressive clarity and seamless texture and finishes very long and sappy; chewy tannins build slowly and fold into the sweet dark fruit.
Very dark. Juicy and round and sinewy. A bit cool on the finish and slightly pinched for the moment. (JR)