Etienne Guigal, Cote Rotie La Turque 2012

vinous94

Reviewed by: Josh Raynolds

Youthful violet. Powerful, smoke- and mineral-accented black and blue fruits and incense on the explosively perfumed nose. Stains the palate with sweet blueberry, cherry, violet pastille and spicecake flavors that show superb depth as well as vivacity. Seamless and alluringly sweet; a core of juicy acidity adds lift and spine. Supple tannins build steadily on an extremely long, focused finish that leaves suave floral and Moroccan spice notes behind.

robert_parker98

Reviewed by: Jeb Dunnuck

Similar to the La Mouline with its forward, incredibly sexy style, the 2012 Côte Rôtie La Turque (there’s 7% Viognier in the blend) offers a saturated purple color to go with meaty, smoky notes of cassis, cured meats, chocolate and roasted herbs. It’s a big mouthful of a wine, with full-bodied richness and a stacked mid-palate, but it has a seamless, weightless texture, perfectly ripe tannin and a blockbuster finish. I’d happily drink a glass today, but it should be at its finest from 2020-2046.

robert_parker99

Reviewed by: Jeb Dunnuck

More layered, textured and fresh, the 2012 Cote Rotie La Turque is another superb example of this cuvee. Exhibiting gorgeous blackberry, olive, raw meat and leafy herb aromas and flavors, it is full-bodied on the palate, with gorgeous purity, fine tannin and fantastic length. Give it a handful of years in the cellar once released and enjoy it over the following two decades. (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_parker100

Reviewed by: Jeb Dunnuck

Possibly rivaling the 2009 and 2010, the 2012 Cote Rotie La Turque offers about as classic a Cote Rotie perfume as you could imagine. Bacon fat, olive, sweet blackberry, cassis and subtle coffee bean and chocolate all emerge from this incredible 2012, and it’s full-bodied, supple and downright sexy, with no hard edges and massive layers of fruit. Give it 5-6 years after release and drink it through 2042.

robert_parker98

Reviewed by: Jeb Dunnuck

Taking longer to develop in the glass than the exuberant and sexy la Mouline, the 2012 Cote Rotie la Turque (93% Syrah and 7% Viognier that will see four years in new oak) offers Bordeaux-like notes of lead pencil and graphite to go with olive, smoked herbs, pepper and ripe dark fruits. Possessing a touch less raw material than both the 2009 and 2010, it nevertheless has full-bodied richness, serious mid-palate depth, lots of sweet tannin and a fabulous finish. It will need 4-6 years of cellaring and drink well over the following two to three decades.

james_suckling97

Reviewed by: James Suckling

Made from syrah and 7% viognier, this has an intriguingly assertive yet elegant stance. it's compact, powerful and composed. Very complex, fragrant notes on the nose of orange zest, pepper, cloves and cardamom: It's all really spicy. On the palate, this is elegant and silky with plenty of fine tannin and a structure that's striking for its density. Dark-chocolate flavors are also a prominent feature. This expands vertically on the palate, even if oak ageing has mellowed this nicely all the way up to its creamy finish. A wine of clarity and purity: complex but refined. Drink 2020-2030+.