Etienne Guigal, Cote Rotie La Landonne 1989

robert_parker99

Reviewed by: Jeb Dunnuck

Another sensational wine is the 1989 Cote Rotie la Landonne. Served right next to the '99 and just as deep ruby in color, it offered a classic array of truffle, underbrush, licorice, smoked meats, black olive and sweet dark fruits. Deep, concentrated, ultra-pure and with building tannin, it's a killer, fully mature Cote Rotie that will continue to knock your socks off over the coming decade or more.

robert_parker100

Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.

Guigal's 1989 single vineyard Cote Roties are magnificent. Now that they are three months away from bottling, their taste is reminiscent of the 1985s and 1982s. All of them possess fabulous concentration, sweet, expansive personalities. I suspect the 1989 La Landonne possesses more tannin than it is currently revealing, but there is so much fruit that the tannins are largely concealed. Nevertheless, this is a mammoth-sized wine with extraordinary extract and 20-30 years of aging potential. The 1989s will be released during the spring of 1993. Guigal's Cote Roties, particularly the single vineyard wines, are exceptional wines. They offer extraordinary flavor intensity, impeccable purity, and awesome length and complexity. The yields from the three vineyards - La Mouline, La Landonne, and La Turque - rarely exceed two tons per acre. Moreover, no one harvests any later. That the wines spend nearly three and one-half years in 100% new oak tells you something about the level of extraction Guigal is able to achieve. While the oak is noticeable for 1-2 years after bottling, anyone who has tasted the 1985s, 1983s, 1982s, 1980s, or 1978s would be hard-pressed to find evidence of new oak. The level of fruit extraction in these wines literally soaks up the oak, making them all the more structured and complex. While all three wines share phenomenal concentration and marvelous perfumes, they could not be more different. The wines spend 42 months in new small oak casks and are bottled without fining or filtration. Importer: Classic Wines, Boston, MA.

robert_parker98

Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.

The 1989 single-vineyard Cote Roties are magnificent. Reminiscent of Guigal's 1985s and 1982s, the black/purple-colored La Landonne possesses fabulous concentration, and a sweet, expansive personality. It has plenty of tannin, but there is so much fruit that the tannin is largely concealed. This is another mammoth-sized wine with extraordinary extract. Anticipated maturity: 1999-2020. Last tasted 7/96.