E. Guigal - Côte-Rôtie La Turque 2020

Marcel and Philippe Guigal jointly lead the successful family business, which since 2017 has expanded significantly in the south, to Châteauneuf-du-Pape (77 hectares of owned vineyards), supplemented in the spring of 2022 by the 100 hectares of Château d’Aquéria. And, as always, the estate boasts a rich portfolio of vineyards in Côte Rôtie, Condrieu, Saint-Joseph, and Hermitage. Wine enthusiasts can savor some of the valley’s greatest vintages, not to mention the brilliant Côtes-du-Rhône—in all three colors—and Tavel, Philippe’s favorite wine.

It has the classic profile, with the body and tannins needed to help it age, but it isn’t as heavy as some recent vintages. Star anise, cinnamon, and nutmeg—very spicy this year—this wine is bold and gently fruity, with juicy, supple tannins and a long finish. The vines are located on the Côte Brune, planted by Marcel Guigal in 1980 (first vintage 1985) after having been abandoned since 1935.

With its deep color, the 2020 Turque makes an immediate impression. On the nose, it reveals complex and equally deep aromas of graphite, wild strawberry, violet, pepper, and orange-infused chocolate. This aromatic intensity resonates for a long time on the palate, which is full-bodied, concentrated, generous, and long-lasting, supported by refined tannins, elegant oak, and perfectly balanced freshness. It’s full of energy and incredible class.

In addition to its “treasures” in côte-rôtie, Hermitage, and Condrieu, the Guigal estate owns two beautiful plots in Saint-Joseph: the “Saint-Joseph” vineyard, which gave its name to the appellation, and the Vignes de l’Hospice, planted on a very steep granite hillside—a site already identified by the monks of the Hospice de Tournon—with a geological formation similar to that of the famous Bessards hill in Hermitage.

An iconic figure of the northern Rhône, Marcel Guigal is both a major wine merchant and a prominent winegrower. In the latter capacity, he cultivates famous vineyards in Côte Rôtie, such as La Mouline, La Turque, and La Landonne, not to mention La Doriane in Condrieu. A tireless worker with an insatiable intellectual curiosity, he succeeded his father, Etienne. Philippe Guigal, an oenologist representing the third generation, continues the family legacy alongside his father, maintaining this dual focus on estate winemaking and wine trading. Winemaking for the northern appellations takes place entirely in Ampuis.

Notes of espresso and oak rise above hints of purple raspberry in the 2020 Cote Rotie La Turque. The wine is full-bodied, with generous concentration and length, but it seems to lack a bit of depth compared to other recent vintages. Let’s see what next year has in store.

 

La Turque is majestic, with a tight palate, dynamic, still tight, yet incredibly promising. A truly great wine to be cellared for at least 10 years.

The most iconic winery in the northern Rhône Valley needs no introduction. Under this umbrella, we bring together the wines from our own vineyards, which we thus distinguish from our wine merchant operations. This includes the famous trio from the “ Côte-Rôtie ”: La Mouline, La Turque, and La Landonne; the first two are brand names, while the last is a registered terroir. Added to these are the Château d’Ampuis cuvée and the Condrieu La Doriane. In addition to these star wines, there is the Vignes de l’Hospice cuvée—a Saint-Joseph situated on a magnificent terroir—as well as several premier plots in Hermitage from which the Ex-Voto cuvée is produced. Marcel Guigal is strongly supported by his son Philippe, who seems to be gently shifting the style of the wines, with aging practices that strike us as slightly less dominant. Needless to say, all these wines are built for long-term aging.

Deep color. A very ripe nose with notes of raisins. Rich fruit flavors again, with fine tannins but greater length and precision on the finish.

Côte-Rôtie 's La Turque 2020 promises to be outstanding. Bold and supremely complex, it opens with expressive notes of mocha, ripe black fruits, dried meat, pencil shavings, and cedar wood. Refreshing acidity balances the wine’s high concentration of flavors, all framed by a firm yet polished tannic structure. In short, the 2020 La Turque is a wine of class and precision, endowed with remarkable inner energy and verticality.

The aroma is reminiscent of what you smell when you walk into a spice market in the Far East. The full-bodied palate is highly concentrated and possesses an underestimated power, yet it is also graceful, with the generous dose of toasted oak almost perfectly integrated. An extremely long finish that continues to reveal notes of berries, butter, orange, and stone fruit. Ready to drink now, but best enjoyed starting in 2027.

The 2020 Côte Rôtie La Turque offers a bit more density on the mid-palate and features a more straightforward, inward-focused bouquet of blackcurrant, graphite, smoked meat, and iron, with subtle gamey and blood-like nuances in the background. It is also full-bodied, with a concentrated and structured palate, remarkable purity, and a formidable finish.