E. Guigal - Côte-Rôtie La Landonne 2022

Bettane & Desseauve

About the estate:

Marcel and Philippe Guigal jointly run the successful family business, which since 2017 has expanded significantly in the south to Châteauneuf-du-Pape (77 hectares of estate-owned vineyards), supplemented in the spring of 2022 by the 100 hectares of Château d’Aquéria. And, as always, there is the 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 red, white, and rosé varieties—and Tavel, Philippe’s favorite wine.

Decanter

About the wine:

Extremely spicy, with notes of iron filings, graphite, and rare steak. Concentrated, powerful, dense, and dark. It has a massive tannic structure; it’s dry and flavorful, but the alcohol is well-integrated. Extremely reserved; it will take a long time to open up. The tannins lack a bit of elegance this year, but that could improve during aging. Fermented as whole clusters, sourced from the La Landonne vineyard. At the start of its 40-month aging in new French oak barrels.

Guide Hachette des vins

About the estate:

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 first identified by the monks of the Hospice de Tournon and featuring a geological formation similar to that of the famous Bessards hill in Hermitage.

Guide des Vins Gault & Millau

About the estate:

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.

Robert Parker - Wine Advocate

About the estate:

RVF - La Revue du Vin de France / Guide des Meilleurs Vins de France

About the estate:

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 Côte-Rôtie trio: 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 exceptional plots in Hermitage that produce the Ex-Voto cuvée. 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.

Jancis Robinson

About the wine:

Very pronounced smoky and rich notes, along with great power. The palate is incredibly dense and intense, with aromas of smoke, game, gravel, graphite, and black fruits—almost kirsch. The tannins are firm and layered. The oak is well-integrated and well-balanced with the tannic core. Still very young, it possesses an underlying core of earthy minerality.

Vinous

About the wine:

The fabulous 2022 Côte-Rôtie La Landonne unfolds with aromas of ripe black fruit, graphite, mocha, wood smoke, and a hint of vanilla. Bold and generous, its massive tannic structure will require a great deal of patience in the cellar. At this stage, I don’t see the 2022 reaching the stratospheric heights of the magical 2020, but if all goes as planned, the 2022 should prove to be a rock-solid La Landonne with a long life ahead of it.

Jeb Dunnuck

About the wine:

The 2022 Côte Rôtie La Landonne offers a whole new level of complexity, with aromas of blackberries, blackcurrants, wood smoke, cured meats, and hints of leather. This powerful, concentrated, and full-bodied Côte Rôtie (100% Syrah) was aged for 42 months in new oak barrels and exhibits the classic character of La Landonne, with beautiful depth and richness, as well as tannins that are still evolving. While it retains some of the vintage’s approachability, this wine will nevertheless require a good decade of cellaring.