Etienne Guigal, Cote Rotie La Landonne 2012

vinous95

Reviewed by: Josh Raynolds

Glass-staining ruby. Pungent, spice- and mineral-accented aromas of ripe dark berries, smoky bacon, candied licorice, violet and Moroccan spices. Juicy and densely packed on the palate, offering impressively concentrated black and blue fruit and floral pastille flavors sharpened by a hint of peppery spices. Becomes sweeter and more lively as it opens up, picking up sexy cola and vanilla nuances. Shows outstanding depth as well as vivacity, finishing sappy and extremely long, with fine-grained tannins adding shape and grip.

robert_parker100

Reviewed by: Jeb Dunnuck

The utterly perfect 2012 Côte Rôtie La Landonne is the star of three single vineyards in 2012. Possessing an off-the-charts sexiness in its layered, concentrated and full-bodied style, it has a wealth of fruit, ripe tannin, a stacked mid-palate and pedal-to-the-metal notes of black fruits, scorched earth, caramelized meats and crushed rocks. While this cuvée normally needs a decade to become drinkable, there’s a sweetness of fruit here that allows it to offer incredible pleasure even today. Nevertheless, give bottles 5-6 years and enjoy over the following three decades.

robert_parker99

Reviewed by: Jeb Dunnuck

The 2012 Cote Rotie La Landonne, which has a long way to go before seeing a bottle, offers the same classic and textbook array of black raspberry, cassis, bacon fat, violets and striking minerality that can be found in the other vintages. Full-bodied, layered and incredibly fresh and focused, it shows the vintage’s purity and suppleness perfectly. It should be a serious effort and a candidate for short-term cellaring. (Not yet released) One of the highlight tastings during my more than two weeks spent working in the Northern Rhone, this set of releases by the father/son pair, Marcel and Philippe Guigal, is about as stacked a lineup as you’ll find anywhere in the world. From their tiny production Cote Roties, to the massive production level Cotes du Rhone (red and white), the quality here is impeccable, as is the attention to detail at every step of the winemaking process. Looking at the vintages reviewed here, reds first, their 2009s are some of the most bombastic, decadent and thrilling wines out there. While they have the over the top richness that allows them to dish out plenty of pleasure even now, they need 4-5 years to integrate their oak and to fully flesh out. Count yourself lucky if you have a few of these hidden in the cellar. More classic in style across the board, the 2010s are more focused and straight, yet similarly concentrated, if not with additional density. They will take slightly longer to come around compared to the 2009s, and certainly offer a more textbook drinking experience. They, too, are at the top of the wine hierarchy. The 2011s show the vintage nicely with slightly more approachable profiles, sweet tannin and brilliant concentration, especially in the vintage. They still have another year in barrel to go, but will certainly be among the top wines of the vintage, have broad drink windows, and should come close to what was achieved in 2009 and 2010, albeit in a different style. Lastly, the 2012s should, in my mind, surpass the 2011s, as they have a smidge more overall density, as well as fabulous purity. Neither the 2011s nor 2012s have the density of the 2010s, nor the sheer wealth of material that’s found in the 2009s. Nevertheless, time will tell, and these wines won’t be bottled for some time yet. Looking at the whites, 2011 and 2012 are similar in quality. Both vintages have beautiful purity, good overall acidity and good concentration, i.e., lots to like. Whether or not we’ll see a 2012 Ermitage Ex-Voto Blanc (which was not produced in 2011) remains to be seen, but what I tasted was certainly promising, if not earth-shattering (as was the 2010!). Looking at the Chateau d’Ampuis releases, this cuvee is a blend of vineyards (La Garde, Le Clos, Grande-Plantee, Pommiere, Pavillon, Le Moulin and La Viria lieux-dits) and sees upwards of 38 months in 100% new French oak. Importer: Vintus Wines, Pleasantville, NY; tel. (914) 769-3000

robert_parker99

Reviewed by: Jeb Dunnuck

Also perfumed and beautifully complex, the 2012 Cote Rotie La Landonne has the supple, textured and voluptuous style of the vintage, yet still packs a massive amount of tannin and extract in its full-bodied profile. It will need 7-8 years of cellaring to become approachable.

robert_parker99

Reviewed by: Jeb Dunnuck

Another massive, thick and unctuously textured beauty is the 2012 Cote Rotie la Landonne. Always the most structured and tannic of the three single vineyard releases, in this case, the wine’s wealth of fruit and texture almost completely hide its tannic grip and underlying structure. Offering sensational notes of cassis, caramelized meats, spice box and crushed rocks, this beauty hits the palate with full-bodied richness, masses of perfectly ripe tannin and a surprisingly sexy, hard to resist profile. Nevertheless, give it 7-8 years in the cellar and enjoy this beauty through 2047.

james_suckling97

Reviewed by: James Suckling

This really sends the expressive aromatics into overdrive thanks to a smoky, mellow and super-appealing sappy edge. Then cue a swirling lift of red berries and darker plums. Very complex. The palate's detailed and deeply flavorsome, showcasing rich plums, blackberries and dark cherries that are coated in fine dark chocolate. A wine of genuine depth and detail leading into a peppery, sappy and smoky finish. Drink from 2020–2030+. Vinified with 100% whole clusters.