Wine Advisor
Etienne Guigal, Cote Rotie La Turque 1996
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Description
Côte-Rôtie "La Turque" is one of the flagship of the Domaine GUIGAL. A powerful wine with spicy notes, its terroirs from côte brune with “blond accents” lends it a great elegance.
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
The great glories of this house are its Cote Roties, of which there are now five separate offerings. Tasting through the 1996 Cote Roties offers convincing proof that Guigal's extremely late harvest (which was completed during the third week of October) has paid off, resulting in wines with good acidity, but not the searing tartness that is noticeable in some cellars. The 1996 Cote Rotie La Turque is not a blockbuster in the style of the 1995, but it is still sensational stuff. It was the last vineyard to be harvested by Guigal, and one can detect an extraordinary cassis character intermixed with pepper, Asian spices, and aromas of incense. The wine possesses amazing length, richness, and overall balance, without any of the tart acidity so common in this vintage. Guigal is one of the cellars where the wines always taste better after they are bottled than they do from cask, although as the scores in this segment indicate, some profound wines can be found in the 1994, 1995, and 1996 vintages Chez Guigal. Guigal's impression of the 1996 vintage is that it was significantly more successful in the north than the south, but one of the characteristics in both northern and southern Rhone wines is high acidity - in both white and red wine cuvees. Importer: Classic Wines, Boston, MA; tel. (617) 731-6644
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
The 1996 Cote Rotie La Turque exhibits a dark ruby/purple color, a pronounced grilled herb, black cherry, and incense-scented nose, good underlying acidity, the tell-tale black fruit, prune, raspberry, and griotte character Marcel Guigal refers to when talking about this vineyard, and a long, concentrated finish with moderate tannin and acidity. It is a Burgundian-styled, elegant wine. Look for it to drink well within 1-2 years after release, and last for 15+ years. Importer: Fred Ek, Ex Cellars Wine Agencies, Solvang, CA; tel. (805) 686-9153
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
The saturated purple-colored 1996 Cote Rotie La Turque exhibits knock-out aromatics of licorice, tar, pepper, bacon fat, and black fruits. The wine is fat, velvety-textured, and full-bodied, with terrific fruit purity and intensity. Drink this multilayered, spectacular Cote Rotie during its first 15-17 years of age. Importer: Fred Ek, Ex Cellars Wine Agencies, Solvang, CA; tel. (805) 686-9153
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
The 1996 Cote Rotie La Turque possesses a dark, saturated ruby/purple color, aromas of caramel, vanillin, and smoked cherry jam, medium to full body, outstanding ripeness, a plush, surprisingly soft finish, and loads of glycerin. This effort should be drunk over the next 12-15 years. Importer: Fred Ek, Ex Cellars Wine Agencies, Solvang, CA; tel. (805) 686-9153
About the Producer
In 1946, Etienne Guigal founded Château Guigal in the village of Ampuis, the winemaking heart of the Rhône. The village of Ampuis is rich in history, with vineyards that are over 2,400 years old and buildings that still date back to Roman times, and it was here that Etienne Guigal arrived in 1923 at the age of 14. He decided to devote himself to winemaking, which he did for more than 67 years. In 1961, the young Marcel Guigal took over the management of the estate from his father. Thanks to Marcel's efforts, Château Guigal began to acquire some well-known wineries and grew in strength.
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