In a memorable scene from Disney’s Ratatouille (2007), the feared food critic Anton Ego sits brooding in his coffin-shaped study, swirling a glass of red wine. His butler bursts in with shocking news: Gusteau’s restaurant is rising in popularity once again after Ego’s scathing review that all but destroyed the restaurant’s reputation. Ego reacts with a dramatic spit take – wine spraying from his lips – before he freezes, suddenly cognisant of the sacrilege he’s about to commit. He snatches up the bottle to scan its label, then dutifully swallows the remaining mouthful rather than waste a single drop.

 

Sharp-eyed wine enthusiasts will recognize Ego’s prized bottle as a Côte-Rôtie from none other than E. Guigal. It’s a delightful Easter egg for oenophiles: even the most intimidating of food critics respects this wine too much to spit it out.

This brief scene in Ratatouille is more than a nod to authenticity or a throwaway gag about not wasting good wine. E. Guigal’s Côte-Rôtie appears here not just because it commands reverence; it’s choice is also symbolic. Ratatouille’s plot centers on discovering greatness in unexpected places –– likewise, if you’ve learnt of E. Guigal’s origin story (as you soon will), you’d see parallels in its elevation of the once obscure wine region of the Rhóne Valley into a great viticultural treasure of the wine world.

A Domain and a Négociant

Guigal is not merely an estate producer – it’s both an estate winery (domaine) and a négociant business. This hybrid model is relatively common in Burgundy or Champagne but was less so in the Rhône when Étienne started.

 

Étienne Guigal.

 

From the beginning, founder Étienne Guigal built a small family domaine while also buying grapes and wine from other growers to bottle under his label. This dual identity of part farmer-winemaker, part merchant-éleveur, gave Guigal the flexibility to survive hard times and the opportunity to raise the profile of the entire Rhône Valley. Guigal could produce quality wines from lesser-known appellations it does not own, all under the family name. At the same time, profits from the négociant arm could be funnelled back into acquiring many of Côte-Rôtie’s and Rhône Valley’s top vineyards.

As we’ll see, this positioned “Guigal” to become a byword for quality from entry-level to icon wines, while rescuing entire appellations from neglect.

Post-War Ampuis: A Neglected Côte-Rôtie Reborn

Guigal’s story begins in 1946 in the tiny village of Ampuis, in France’s Northern Rhône Valley. This is the heart of the Côte-Rôtie appellation – translated as “the roasted slope” – known for its ancient, vertiginous vineyards clinging to steep hillsides. But by the time Étienne Guigal first founded his domaine here, Côte-Rôtie was anything but the glamorous wine region it is today. In fact, Côte-Rôtie nearly disappeared as a wine region.

 

The heavily terraced Côte-Rôtie appellation.

 

The early 20th century had pummelled the region: phylloxera infestations, the economic depression and two World Wars left the vineyards abandoned and overgrown. Investing in farming grapes here in 1940s did not pay: the slopes were too steep and labour-intensive, while a kilo of apricots grown in the valley was worth more than twice a kilo of Côte-Rôtie grapes.

Only a few dozen hectares remained planted by the time Étienne’s teenage son Marcel Guigal came of age in the late 1950s. Local authorities were even drafting plans to bulldoze some of the finest vineyard slopes for housing developments. For Étienne, starting a winery in 1946 in a backwater like Ampuis was a leap of faith.

And so, for the first years, E. Guigal survived by sheer determination and by buying grapes from the few growers who hadn’t given up, keeping the Côte-Rôtie flame alive. Unfortunately, in 1961, Étienne was struck by sudden, total blindness. With his father incapacitated, the responsibility of running both the small domaine and the struggling négociant house fell on the shoulders of 17-year-old Marcel Guigal who had to drop out of school. Many assumed Marcel was inheriting a doomed business. Worried family friends counselled Marcel to continue with his studies instead – describing making wine in Côte Rôtie to be “madness, with winemakers destined for ruin.”

 

Marcel Guigal.

 

The young Marcel may not have realised it in the 1960s, but he was about to become the saviour of Côte-Rôtie.

Marcel’s Côte-Rôtie Renaissance

The young Marcel Guigal gradually turned things around, against the odds. Initially, he had to fight to literally preserve the land itself: working with others like grower Albert Dervieux to lobby against the planned housing development on the prime vineyard terraces.

Marcel also toiled to clear and replant abandoned parcels, seeking to prove that these hillsides could produce greatness. Slowly, the amount of Côte-Rôtie left under the vine began to grow again.

 

 

Next, Marcel believed that to revive the appellation’s reputation, he had to dramatically improve the quality and distinctiveness of the wines. He often argued that Syrah from these slopes could rival the elegance of Burgundy’s Pinot Noir – a bold claim in an era when Burgundy completely overshadowed Rhône wines.

To prove it, Marcel pioneered single-vineyard bottlings in the region. Historically, Rhône wines had been sold as generic blends of various lieux-dits. In 1966, Marcel released the “La Mouline” bottling, sourced from a cherished plot on the Côte Blonde by the same name – a vineyard that had captivated his father Étienne since his youth. This was making a radical statement: that a Rhône wine could receive the same terroir-focused reverence of a grand cru Burgundy, that Côte-Rôtie had unique crus worthy of individual fame. The early La Mouline bottlings dazzled those lucky enough to taste them – it’s described as a Côte-Rôtie of unprecedented perfume and silky finesse, co-fermented with a touch of Viognier and filled with violets, smoked meat and olives.

 

The La Landonne, La Mouline and La Turque trio of prestige wines from E. Guigal (Source: Grand Vin Singapore). 

 

Marcel’s gamble paid off as word spread among wine cognoscenti. The E. Guigal Cote Rotie “La Mouline” was only the first of the now-famous “La La” wines, as Guigal’s trio of top Côte-Rôtie single-vineyard Syrahs are affectionately known. In 1978, Marcel introduced “La Landonne,” another single-vineyard Côte-Rôtie, this time 100% Syrah, from the Côte Brune area. Then in 1985, the third jewel joined the crown: “La Turque” debuted, sourced from a long-neglected parcel on the Côte Brune that Marcel acquired and restored to glory. There was an interesting anecdote that an old vigneron, Marius Gentaz, famously declined to buy the La Turque vineyard when offered, because in the mid-20th century, his vegetables were more profitable than wine grapes of that area. Oh, how far has Côte-Rôtie come from those days!

Guigal and Côte-Rôtie’s transformation was nearly complete by the late 1980s. A pivotal moment came in 1987, when American critic Robert Parker published a rave article declaring the 1985 Côte-Rôties “the most dramatic, intense wines” he’d tasted since first encountering 1982 Bordeaux. Suddenly, international wine buyers woke up to what was happening in this once-forgotten corner of France. Demand soared, prices climbed, and Côte-Rôtie’s renaissance was in full swing! Indeed, by 1985 E. Guigal had gotten large enough to acquire Vidal-Fleury – the oldest house in Côte-Rôtie and the place where Guigal’s founder, Étienne, had apprenticed in his youth. The Guigal journey has come a full circle.

Marcel’s leadership led E. Guigal and the Côte-Rôtie from obscurity to the status of a global icon. The region had grown from some 42 hectares of scrappy vines to over 100 hectares by the 1980s, and it continued expanding still. For his work, Marcel Guigal is widely regarded as a saviour figure in Côte-Rôtie’s modern history, the man who refused to let the appellation die and instead made it a superstar.

Reviving Viognier, Saint-Joseph and Elevating the Rhône

While Côte-Rôtie was the emotional core of Guigal’s mission, the entire Rhône Valley – especially the north – owes a debt to E. Guigal for raising its profile globally.

Take the case of Condrieu, the northern Rhône’s white-wine enclave dedicated to the voluptuous Viognier grape. By the 1960s, Condrieu was even closer to extinction than Côte-Rôtie – only 8 hectares of Viognier vines remained in the world, all of it here on Condrieu’s crumbling granite terraces.

 

 

Yet just as Marcel persisted with steep Syrah vineyards, a local vigneron named Georges Vernay doggedly preserved Viognier vines on the slopes of Condrieu in the 1960s and 70s. The Guigals were kindred spirits in this effort. While Vernay was preserving and crafting fine artisan Viognier, Guigal helped to scale up production of Condrieu without compromising quality, believing in its potential for fine wine when it seemed commercially foolish to do so.

By the 1980s, wine lovers have developed a taste for these rich, perfumed whites. Plantings of Viognier skyrocketed and Condrieu made a comeback from the brink. Today there are over 200 hectares in Condrieu and Viognier is grown all over the world – a revival that no one would have imagined in the 1970s. One of Guigal’s most iconic bottlings today is the La Doriane Condrieu, a barrel-fermented old-vine Viognier of exquisite intensity (which we will taste later).

 

 

Another example is Saint-Joseph, a sprawling appellation along the Rhône’s west bank which was considered run-of-the-mill terroir compared to Hermitage (which sits directly across the region) or Côte-Rôtie. By the 1990s, most Saint-Joseph wine was mass-produced and unremarkable, diluting the reputation of the otherwise revered zone. In 2001, Marcel saw an opportunity to change that. E. Guigal acquired Domaine Jean-Louis Grippat, one of Saint-Joseph’s top growers, and their 17 acres of prime vineyards in the original Saint-Joseph sector near Tournon, including a legendary steep plot known as “Vignes de l’Hospice.”

 

 

Under E. Guigal, the result was dramatic: Guigal’s Saint-Joseph “Vignes de l’Hospice” became one of the appellation’s benchmark wines, a dense, age-worthy Syrah from 50-100 year-old vines that showed just how profound Saint-Joseph can be (we will be tasting this in a bit!). E. Guigal also had the capacity to bring these wines to a global audience through their distribution, thus liting Saint-Joseph’s reputation internationally. What was once a bulk wine region now has a shining example of single-vineyard excellence to emulate.

And so it has gone across the Rhône. Bit by bit, E. Guigal expanded its reach: into Hermitage (the Grippat purchase came with a precious parcel of white Marsanne vines and a slice of Syrah on the famed hill), into Crozes-Hermitage and Gigondas (via the acquisition of Domaine de Vallouit), and eventually into the Southern Rhône’s greatest cru, Châteauneuf-du-Pape in 2017 (with the purchase of the historic Château de Nalys estate in Châteauneuf-du-Pape).

The Châteauneuf acquisition was a milestone – for the first time, Guigal owned land in Châteauneuf, having made southern wines only by grape purchases previously.

 

 

Guigal now directly farms vines in nearly every notable Rhône appellation, literally from top to bottom of the valley. And in large part thanks to Guigal, wine lovers today revere not just Côte-Rôtie but also Condrieu, Hermitage, Saint-Joseph and Châteauneuf’s rich blends. The whole region’s profile has been elevated.

Marcel’s son, Philippe Guigal is today the estate oenologist and third-generation owner of E. Guigal. And according to Philippe, the family remains focused solely on the Rhône – believing that there is still much work for them in the Valley. The work is not done, and that passion continues into the third generation.

 

Marcel with his son, Philippe Guigal (Source: Jon Wyand)

Winemaking philosophy and approach

Spanning roughly 50 different wines, E. Guigal’s range is incredibly comprehensive. Yet across this diversity, certain threads tie them together.

The house emphasises on extended aging in barrel and often in the bottle too. Top reds undergo protracted barrel maturation. Marcel was convinced that the new oak could create voluptuous texture, complexity and polish if used on concentrated wine. Even as modern winemakers begin to eschew new oak or turn to earlier drinkability, the Guigals stand by their long-term approach.

 

 

The “La La” trio of red wines of La Mouline, La Landonne, La Turque for instance are made with extraordinary élevage – typically around 40 months in new oak barrels for every vintage. This should be contrasted with the practice in Burgundy (12-18 months) or Bordeaux (16-20 months). And yet the oak is so well-integrated in Guigal’s wines that critics would note that they do not show traces of oak.

 

Château d’Ampuis.

 

The importance of oak might be why E. Guigal in recent years built a state-of-the-art cooperage at its Château d’Ampuis to ensure a consistent supply of top-quality barrels fine-tuned to their needs.

And while intensity is pursued, E. Guigal’s wines are often described to combine richness with the authentic markers of Rhône terroir, never losing the sense of place in its wines – whether it’s notes of olives and smoked meats in the St. Joseph “Vignes de l’Hospice, or aromatic violets thanks to Côte-Rôtie’s schist soils.

The wines are different precisely because their vineyards are – and the élevage is meant to amplify, not mask, these terroir characteristics.

A Legacy of Elevating the Underappreciated

In the climactic moment of Ratatouille, Anton Ego tastes the final dish in the restaurant and is instantly transported to a memory of eating his mother’s cooking in his childhood kitchen. Greatness could come from the most banal of places.

Côte-Rôtie was once a near-forgotten “ratatouille” of a region – rustic, underappreciated, its treasures unrecognized. It took visionaries like the Guigals to elevate it into haute cuisine for the wine lover’s soul. Their dedication to the Valley ensured that Rhône wines can now comfortably sit alongside Bordeaux and Burgundy grands crus that once overshadowed them.

 

 

The final remarkable aspect of E. Guigal’s journey is that it remains a family business. Despite their global fame, the operation is still run by the Guigals themselves: Marcel, his wife Bernadette, and their oenologist son Philippe. In Ampuis village, they are neighbours as well as employers to many growers, with deep roots in the community that keep them grounded.

 

 

And thanks to Vinexpo Singapore 2025, we got to literally raise a glass of E. Guigal (actually several) to this incredible legacy and taste this range before us!

Wine Review: E. Guigal Côtes du Rhône Rouge

 

One of the most widely-recognised entry-level bottlings from Guigal’s portfolio which is found to consistently punch above its weight. We're tasting the 2022 vintage blend which is composed of 50% Syrah, 40% Grenache and 10% Mourvèdre, typical of the Southern Rhône profile, except that most Southern Rhône reds are more Grenache-led.

Tasting Notes

Colour: Deep ruby.

Aroma: Immediately lots of rose petals, even a little bit of candy floss, with also red confectionaries of liquorice, strawberry jelly and cherry hard candy. It progresses on to darker fruits of plums and prunes, with some dried fruit qualities in the sense of bags of dried fruits at a bazaar. It has a nice mustiness of wooden cellars, and yet remains juicy as it is concentrated.

Taste: Medium-bodied here, incredibly plush and silky, with plums, prunes and strawberries carrying through, joined by those aromatics of rose petals and here a little bit of black tea. There’s a light dryness that begins to emerge, with the tannins firm yet soft and polished.

Finish: That multi chromatic candy floss character stages a comeback, with then also dried plums and prunes, also some strawberries. A clean and firm finish with some light black tea dryness.

My Thoughts

A heroic showing for this red expression! It’s got good complexity, really nice richness and throws in some surprises here and there that makes it positively surprising and very enjoyable. It’s really aromatic, coming through in layers that range from fresh to something that feels a little bit more mature. On the palate, the body is superbly plush and silky, very well saturated with all these red and darker fruits that are juicy yet showing good restraint. The tannins here come through nicely, really firm and structured yet polished and soft. It ends off with a little pop of surprise and then a seamless finish that’s clean and firm with a great touch of dryness to balance out the richness. Really punching well above its weight here!

Wine Review: E. Guigal Crozes-Hermitage Rouge 

 

We head back up to the Northern Rhône with this 2021 vintage made exclusively from Syrah from the Crozes-Hermitage appellation that surrounds the prestigious Hermitage Hill with clay-limestone plains.

Tasting Notes

Colour: Dark ruby.

Aroma: Plenty of roses and potpourri here, incredibly vibrant and perfumed, it’s also giving this oriental quality of sandalwood and lacquered agarwood, a touch resinous. Closely following is a brambly mix of raspberries, strawberries, plums and prunes, that makes for a complete set of brighter and darker tones.

Taste: Medium-bodied here, superbly supple and plush, it’s still on those raspberries and strawberries, here bringing to fore some light red fruit tartness with a splash of aromatic rose water. It is lifted, and also brighter with a gentle yet fresh acidity, also with great definition. Really structured and with great concentration, it continues on to lightly tart field strawberries, red liquorice, cherry candy and some more of those dark fruits plums and prunes towards the back.

Finish: The red fruits carry through, still holding on to those brighter and darker fruit tones, with a bigger focus on raspberries and plum paste. A sprinkle of dried herbs and then a touch of salinity, heading towards a fresh and clean finish.

 

My Thoughts

Incredibly aromatic and lifted, it features great aromatic intensity and also just as great definition. It has a really good balance between the richness and acidity here, and feels really dynamic in its development with a good bit of liveliness. It’s very complete with brighter and darker fruit tones that’s supported by those dried florals and herbs, here with also a more prominent candied quality that comes through, which makes it really fun and engaging. Also worth pointing out is the nice bit of salinity and savouriness that finishes off at the end, along with that refreshing freshness.

Wine Review: E. Guigal Saint-Joseph Rouge

 

We have another 100% Syrah, now the 2021 vintage from the Saint-Joseph appellation of Northern Rhone.

The terroir of Saint-Joseph shares a family resemblance to Côte-Rôtie and Hermitage but offers a more restrained, ethereal take on Syrah due to its slightly cooler and more restrained climate.

Tasting Notes

Colour: Ruby.

Aroma: Expressive and floral but leans towards elegance rather than overtness. It opens with a fresh rose petals and violets, giving off that lifted and airy, polished floral quality. Red fruits with cranberries, raspberry skin, maybe just underripe strawberries, and a touch of liquorice, but none of it shouts, then some traces of crushed fresh herbs–fresh thyme and tarragon–balancing the florals. All of this is gently grounded by a faint minerality, with slate, cool clay and some damp granite.

Taste: It's medium-bodied and just slightly more lifted and slender than the Crozes-Hermitage, but with that same velvety texture. This time it feels finer, sleeker, more precise. Tannins are incredibly soft, seamless and well-woven into a precise structure. And the cooler 2021 vintage seems to emphasise just the distinctive qualities: the structure is tighter and more composed with some minerality. Opens with racy dark fruits: blackcurrants and black raspberries, before slowly giving way to darker notes of anise and liquorice. There's a lift of mint leaf and a noticeable spine of acidity toward the mid-palate, keeping things really fresh. There's also a subtle stony edge with flint and a trace of iron shavings, along with an earthy, mineral core.

Finish: Long, clean and focused. Florals make a return here in the form of potpourri and dried violets–layered with a faint dusting of pepper and a hint of mocha-like oak spice at the tail end.

 

My Thoughts

This one is less about impact and more about subtlety which is a delightful contrast. It still shows a nicely dense and deeply floral profile, but it's more restrained and delicate than the earlier wines, more on the side of minerals and fresh herbs. It captures Saint-Joseph’s liveliness and the purity of its granite soils and instead of showing power, it shows precision. The 2021 vintage's cooler profile seems to have given it extra focus, with that acidity pulling the wine taut in the best way. Structurally, incredibly refined: great silky tannins, clean acidity and well-defined aromatics, before leaning into that contemplative, mineral-driven side of Syrah. There’s a quiet sense of place in this bottle.

Wine Review: E. Guigal “Vignes de l’Hospice” (Saint-Joseph Rouge)

 

We move on to a prestige-level 100% Syrah single-vineyard “Vignes de l’Hospice” 2022 that stands at the top of Saint-Joseph. As mentioned earlier, this prime plot was acquired when E. Guigal acquired Domaine Jean-Louis Grippat, one of Saint-Joseph’s top growers.

The Vignes de l’Hospice is a plot on a single dramatic south-facing granite slope right above the town of Tournon-sur-Rhône, across the river from Hermitage, and its name comes from an old hilltop hospice. The soils are of decomposed granite and due to the incredibly steep gradient, harvesting of grapes have to be done completely manually as tractors and harvesting machines cannot operate safely or even physically fit on these razor-thin terraces.

Although this is part of the Saint-Joseph appellation, critics describe the Vignes de l’Hospice to be closer in spirit to Hermitage or even Côte-Rôtie in terms of concentration, depth and mineral expression thanks to its incredibly steep slopes and south-facing exposure that maximises sun.

Tasting Notes

Colour: Dark ruby.

Aroma: It opens with a potpourri of dried rose petals and dried herbs, incredibly perfumed and aromatic with vibrant tones of florals and herbaceousness. It’s backed up by plums and prune preserves, really concentrated and rich as well. It’s super expressive and big and fuller on the aromatics.

Taste: Medium-bodied here, a really satin-like texture that’s plush and velvety with deep and concentrated, plush and velvety notes of plums and prunes, garnished with some rose petals and dried herbals of thyme and rosemary. It’s well-saturated with a nice lifted and fresh quality to the body.

Finish: A little bit of that candy floss character comes through, and then it’s on to the plums and prunes that power through, still very much cusped with those dried florals and herbs. A clean and dry, really resolute finish with tannins firm and a touch grainy.

 

My Thoughts

Really intense and powerful, this felt like everything was on full blast and yet it’s hardly over the top - it’s so elegant and shows so much finesse. It’s simply so vibrant and expressive, with such lush textures and great structure. The fruits dominate, and yet is given this added radiance of complexity in the form of dried roses and herbs, all with this incredibly lifted and fresh quality. An absolutely beautiful expression that’s so harmonious and captivating.

Wine Review: E. Guigal Gigondas Rouge

 

We move down to Southern Rhône once again to Gigondas, an appellation east of Châteauneuf-du-Pape that sits on the slopes of a chain of mountains called the Dentelles de Montmirail.

The soils are rocky alluvial soils, with a mix of clay, limestone, and stony scree that gives excellent drainage and poor fertility.

We're tasting the 2021 vintage. This wine is typically crafted from a blend of 70% Grenache, 20% Syrah, and 10% Mourvèdre, typical of the Gigondas appellation which emphasises Grenache's fruit-forward nature.

Tasting Notes

Colour: Deep ruby.

Aroma: Jam packed with both black and red fruits, but what stood out was the unusual savoury character woven through it and reminds me of a bag of trail mix! Opens with blackberries, blackcurrant and fig jam with a fresh earthiness, with this distinct briny and dried nori seaweed character. Layered with potpourri and a medley of dried herbs like oregano, thyme and dried tarragon. As it opens up, it shifts toward brighter, more expressive red fruits like raspberries and dried cherries, along with some sweeter tones of mocha, vanilla and a soft liquorice edge. There’s a rustic indistinct dried fruit note to it that slowly gets silkier and rounder.

Taste: Lifted and expressive right out of the gate. It’s full-bodied and firmly structured, with chewy, substantial tannins that are definitely present but not at all aggressive, just blended into a rich concentrated fruit core with redcurrants, raspberry preserves, black plum skins and dark cherry. The oak is gently integrated, giving off a mild sweet toasted note. As it develops, a nice herbal lift comes in with dried thyme, a little mint, and then a flick of pepper toward the back of the palate. There’s definitely some weight and density to it, but it also has great movement and exuberance.

Finish: Long, consistent with what came before with light red fruits like raspberry and cranberry carry through cleanly, layered with soft mocha and vanilla giving a smooth oak landing. Fruit fades slowly with a residual echo of dried herbs and cocoa.

 

My Thoughts

This is more muscular in structure, but what makes it stand out is that evocative savoury depth. It’s a little more evocative and earthy than a Châteauneuf. There’s a cool mineral tone beneath all that fruit that adds an extra dimension, and the fruit concentration itself is excellent– so saturated but still quite fresh.

Structurally it’s got the frame for long-term cellaring, thanks to those firm, chewy tannins, but it’s already surprisingly drinkable. I find the balance of approachability and structure just impressive. Personally, I’d love to revisit this bottle in another five to ten years. It’s a really solid, age-worthy Gigondas with some great complexity and character that I’d seriously consider buying now to lay down.

Wine Review: E. Guigal Châteauneuf-du-Pape Rouge

 

Next up, we have the 2020 vintage from the crown jewel appellation of the Southern Rhône. Though Guigal’s reputation is rooted in the Northern Rhône, the quality of their Châteauneuf-du-Pape bottlings are highly rated as well. While the appellation allows for up to 13 different grape varieties, Guigal’s CDP blend typically focuses on the GSM formula, with 70–80% Grenache, 10–15% Syrah and 5–10% Mourvèdre.

Guigal’s CDPs are also known for greater balance and structure, so one could expect a slightly higher proportion of Syrah and Mourvèdre compared to other more Grenache-heavy CDPs.

Tasting Notes

Colour: Dark ruby.

Aroma: It opens really rich with both red and darker fruit tones, of cherry preserves and raspberries, along with a good deal of plums, prunes and blackberries also in the form of preserves and paste. There’s a gentle spice character of cloves and a crack of black pepper, with also some earthiness in the form of dried tobacco leaves. Big aromas, really rich.

Taste: Medium-bodied here, it feels rounded and a little more jammy, yet nothing over the top, it’s really plush and velvety, with this sensualness about it. The body is filled in with more of those dark fruits of plums, prunes and blackberries in the form of preserves and paste, and a little bit of that clove, leather and dried herbs. Some black liquorice and tobacco rounds it out.

Finish: The big and bold dark fruits carries through the finish, with a little bit of sarsaparilla here and black liquorice, also a touch of those dried herbs. An aromatic bit of black pepper before a seamless and rich finish that carries on for quite long.

 

My Thoughts

This felt more opulent and luscious, with really bold and big dark fruit notes that dominate the expression, here presented with a more prominent spice character. It’s got great richness and has a wonderfully velvety and plush body that doesn’t feel heavy or weighty, and instead feels incredibly luscious and juicy. The tannins here are soft and giving, allowing for the body to really push forth. It’s really approachable and with a good amount of complexity and particularly here a nice bit of earthiness and spice that really comes through.

Wine Review: E. Guigal Hermitage Rouge

 

Next up, we have the 2021 vintage from top-tier Northern Rhône terroir – Hermitage, which has been legendary for producing deep and long-lived 100% Syrah wines.

Hermitage hill is a single hill overlooking the town of Tain-l’Hermitage on the left bank of the Rhône River. It’s a complex mosaic of granite, mica-schist, loess and limestone, and is famous for its south-facing, sun-drenched slopes. Even for a standard Hermitage appellation red wine, Guigal puts it through a long élevage of around 30 months in new oak to build complexity.

Tasting Notes

Colour: Deep ruby.

Aroma: Really fruity and full, with juicy and concentrated aromas of plums and prunes, garnished by rose petals. The darker fruit tones are elevated with this perfumed potpourri quality that’s even joined by some dried herbs of rosemary. Great expressiveness, and with time the roses only become more prominent, with the richness and concentration becoming more clearly defined.

Taste: Medium-bodied here, more immediately floral this time with the roses coming through first, quickly followed by those raspberries, strawberries, plums and prunes. It’s very complete with these brighter and darker tones of fruit, balanced out by some black tea. The body is well saturated with good concentration, plush and satin in texture, with a nice lifted quality that comes as a result of that gentle acidity. Firm and polished tannins too.

Finish: It takes a brighter turn here, with a bigger focus on those bright red fruits of raspberries and strawberries. Some of that vibrant cotton candy note comes through, joined by roses and potpourri. It’s plush and seamless, yet firm into the lightly dry finish. Rose petals and lightly savoury dried herbs persist.

 

My Thoughts

This leans on darker fruit for the most part and shows this really gastronomic dried herbs savouriness that is really well integrated to the fruits. It feels fuller on the nose, and yet on the body even with the great saturation, still shows itself really elegantly with this lifted quality from that gentle acidity. This feels fresh and complements those fruity and floral characters with this side of herbaceous savouriness, making it really colourful and complete. There’s a nice complexity to the progression as well, with the finish ending on a brighter tone. This is showing great balance and completeness.

Wine Review: E. Guigal Côte-Rôtie Rouge, Brune et Blonde de Guigal

 

Now, we turn to one of Guigal’s most iconic bottlings – the 2021 vintage Côte-Rôtie sourced from both the Brune slope (richer darker soil with more clay and iron) and Blonde slope (lighter, pale soil with more granite and sand), intended to express the full character of the Côte-Rôtie terroir by combining the structure and power of Brune and the floral elegance and finesse of Blonde.

This wine is a blend of Syrah grapes with a touch of Viognier and can be taken to be a more accessible cousin to their ultra-prestigious “La La” wines (La Mouline, La Landonne, La Turque), and yet still quite serious in quality and age-worthiness.

The cooler 2021 vintage is said to offer a more restrained, structured take on this wine than the richer and rounder styles of recent warm years like 2018 through 2020.

Tasting Notes

Colour: Ruby with purply tint.

Aroma: More layered and restrained rather than flamboyant. Aromatic and fresh, with a strong sense of terroir. Opens with dried lavender, rose petals and soft potpourri notes. Red fruits come in gently, mostly redcurrant and tart cherries, with a dusting of dried thyme and a light touch of black olive tapenade that brings a distinctive savoury edge. There’s also a subtle nuttiness, reminded me of lotus seed or slightly roasted chestnut, anchored by a mineral backbone of cool slate and a clay-like earthy tone. Just behind that, there’s a touch of cedar and the faintest wisp of incense that is quite light, but enough to notice.

Taste: Medium-bodied, coming across vibrant and upright rather than being plush or lush. The tannins are firm but fine-grained opening with a core of dark red fruits–black cherries, raspberry skin, plums with a bit of dried cranberry around the edges. There’s a very clear racy character here; the acidity being prominent, which brings out some tension on the palate. Mocha comes in softly alongside the fruit, as do a series of dairy-like malolactic notes with a touch soft caramel and cafe mocha.

Finish: Clean and mineral, tapering off into notes of graphite and crushed slate. Some of those tart red fruits, raspberry, cranberry, a touch of red currant, and dried herbs. The oak influence shows up here more as a drying sensation on the tail.

 

My Thoughts

This is vibrant, upright, and fresh. Definitely leans toward a more structured and terroir-transparent style. Compared to the warmer, rounder vintages like 2018 to 2020, it’s said that the 2021 Brune et Blonde is much more refined and tightly wound, and I can see that here. The acidity and tannins are more pronounced, giving it real tension and lift, and placing elegance ahead of power. It doesn’t rely on plush rich fruit to make an impression, but instead delivers minerality, aromatic detail and a firmer backbone. This is the sort of vintage that old-school Rhône lovers will appreciate. More importantly, it's clear that this 2021 will much age more gracefully than its warmer vintage siblings. The higher acidity and structure point to a longer evolution, probably well over a decade. It might be a bit austere now, but it's built to reveal much, much more with time.

Wine Review: E. Guigal Côte-Rôtie Chateau d’Ampuis

 

Sitting above the Brune et Blonde in Guigal’s Côte-Rôtie hierarchy is the Château d’Ampuis prestige cuvée. This is a more selective, age-worthy and complex expression made from the older and lower-yielding vines in both Côte Brune and Côte Blonde. It’s primarily Syrah with some Viognier – slightly more so than the Brune et Blonde, which lifts the aromatics and mouthfeel.

After vinification, it is aged slightly longer than the Brune et Blonde with 38 months in 100% new oak barrels. We're tasting the 2021 vintage.

Tasting Notes

Colour: Dark ruby.

Aroma: Big and deep on plums, prunes and figs, with juicy and concentrated aromas of dark fruits, topped with floral rose petals. Further in the aromas develop to more of a dried fruit quality of dried prunes, with also some earthiness of soil, and also blackberry preserves. Incredibly fruit forward and rich, with a soft floral and earthy aspect, and also some dried herbs that come through.

Taste: Medium-bodied here, really supple and rich, incredibly juicy yet concentrated still, consistent with all those prunes, plums and blackberry preserves. It’s velvety and plush in texture, and well-saturated with these dark fruits. Towards the back there’s some dried wood that emerges as well, and a light tint of rose petals. The tannins are completely relaxed and giving, yet retains a good structure, with just a nice addition of a touch of woodiness.

Finish: More on dried herbs, yet still backed by those juicy plums and prunes, here with even some red fruits in the form of strawberries. A clean and lightly dry finish, with the tannins taking a slightly more grainy form, yet still very much juicy and rich into the finish.

 

My Thoughts

A very compelling expression that’s bold and fruit forward, with this almost muscular body, incredibly rich and well-saturated, with also great concentration whilst retaining that juiciness and supple texture. It has an understated intensity to its flavours, powerful yet elegant - indeed an iron fist in a velvet glove! It’s so commanding in presence and also has this depth of maturity with some really lovely woody tones that comes through, yet without any bitterness. The garnishes of rose florals and dried herbs adds dimensionality and adds to the radiance of the main fruit character.

A showpiece of an expression - bold and subtly intense, great body with an understated complexity! Superb presence!

Wine Review: E. Guigal Côtes du Rhône Blanc

 

We now turn to the whites. While Guigal’s reds tend to get most of the spotlight, their Côtes du Rhône Blanc quietly delivers a surprisingly impressive white Rhône experience, beginning with the entry-rangeCôtes du Rhone white blend.

This blend is dominated by Viognier with smaller components of Roussanne, Marsanne, Clairette, Bourboulenc, and Grenache Blanc. We're tasting the 2023 vintage.

Tasting Notes

Colour: Bright yellow-gold.

Aroma: Immediately aromatic and delicate, with an abundance of white florals and orchard fruits leading the way. Opens with a wave of apple blossom and jasmine flowers right up front, a layer of subtle fruit with light white peaches and a bit of soft rock melon sitting quietly under the florals. There’s a bit of stony, chalky mineral character behind it all.

Taste: Opens with loads of juicy orchard fruit. Clarified apple juice, fresh pear cider, even a little white grape skin, and it all comes wrapped in a richly supple body that still feels well defined and focused. Textures are smooth and it carries some weight. But what makes it stand out is just how clean and precise the flavours are. Honey and a little beeswax in there, sitting with more of those apple blossoms again.

Finish: Creamy and lightly savoury, with the floral tones shifting into more dried petals. There’s a touch of vanilla, some soft toastiness, and just a faint nutty notes of almond skin and light cashew right at the end. Rounds out with a nice flicker of barley sugar.

 

My Thoughts

This is a more than excellent introduction to Guigal’s white wines. It’s a juicy-floral-fruity blend that leans more toward freshness than ripeness. It’s incredibly accessible, and would be appreciated by even new drinkers, even if it is maybe a bit straightforward, but there’s a lot to appreciate here in the detail of the floral notes and the weight of the palate. I like that it balances freshness with a creamy softness. And while really juicy and evocative of orchard fruits, it doesn’t veer into anything overly sweet or cloying. It’s the kind of white that can slot easily into a meal, especially with cream-based dishes or simply-prepared seafood. What stands out most is the sense of clarity and composure in such a friendly style.

Wine Review: E. Guigal Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc

 

A blanc from the CDP! Here’s a glimpse into the fuller-bodied and more structured side of Southern Rhône whites.

This cuvée typically comprises a blend of primarily Grenache Blanc and Roussanne, then Clairette, Picpoul and Picardan. We're tasting the 2023 vintage.

Tasting Notes

Colour: Straw.

Aroma: Bright but layered with creamy undertones. Opens with a soft floral lift of mostly honeysuckle and orange blossom, followed by light honey and that melony, almost cantaloupe-like sweetness and golden apples show up too. A touch of vanilla and a creamy edge hints at the lees contact or some barrel work. Rounding it off is a subtle, yeasty character, somewhere between fresh brioche and lightly buttered toast.

Taste: Quite musky and fruity all at once, with ripe stonefruits; white peachs and apricot leading the way. There’s a light mustiness of clean beeswax and some nuttiness bringing a slight oxidative edge. The texture is rounded and palate-coating and there’s some light waxiness. The acidity is modest but well-placed and keeps the fruit from getting too plush. There’s also a little bit of digestive biscuit character along with some baked apple notes that are persistent through the middle.

Finish: Long and elegant, with more apple and pear syrup and a distinct high-toned minerality cutting through the weight, along with a cooling lift of mint. Some toasted brioche right at the end.

 

My Thoughts

This shows a lot of definition in the fruit, but what makes it stand out is the texture – it’s creamy without being weighty. The balance between fruit and acidity is right where it should be–not too sweet, not too sharp. There is certainly more acidity and frame compared to the Côtes du Rhône Blanc we’ve just tasted, with enough presence and weight to handle some short-term cellaring or be paired with slightly richer food dishes. I can see this developing nicely over a few years, with the potential to reveal more nutty, savoury character. It’s really easy to enjoy now, but there seems to be more to come.

Wine Review: E. Guigal Hermitage Blanc

 

Next up, we have a blanc from the distinguished Hermitage appellation, crafted predominantly from Marsanne and a touch of Roussane. The vines are said to be slightly older, ranging from 30 to 90 years which should contribute to more concentration and complexity. We're tasting the 2020 vintage.

Tasting Notes

Colour: Straw

Aroma: It opens with a waxy honeyed aroma of maltose and beeswax, joined by bouquets of fresh white florals. Vibrantly aromatic and rich, it continues on to give white peaches and apricots dipped in honey.

Taste: Medium-bodied, it’s firm and supple yet rich, with its body filled in with honey, white florals and orchard fruits of apples, pears, apricots and prunes.

Finish: That candied maltose carries through the finish, here joined by some multichromatic tones of candy floss, and some more honey, with a touch of black tea. It’s super candied and seamless into the finish with dried apple and pear slices that linger.

 

My Thoughts

Incredibly vibrant! It’s really candied and waxy, holding within this bounty of orchard fruits and white florals. The body here is firm and yet supple, with a good balance between the fruits, florals and honey. Yet it is ultimately the finish that dazzles, taking a more honeyed turn that’s almost multichromatically vibrant with this candy floss quality, which is further extended by these lightly tannic qualities of black tea that eventually lead into mature orchard fruit aromatics. A surprisingly complex expression that starts and finishes impressively.

Wine Review: E. Guigal Condrieu Blanc

 

Here’s a quintessential expression of Viognier from Northern Rhône from the Condrieu appellation that Guigal helped popularise around the world. This is a 100% Viognier wine that exhibits tons of aromatic fruit and exotic florals. We're tasting the 2023 vintage.

Tasting Notes

Colour: Straw

Aroma: Incredibly floral and in oriental tones of jasmines, orange blossoms and oolong tea. It’s lightly citrusy and super floral, with this almost resinous quality of lacquered agarwood and a touch of frankincense. It’s incredibly aromatic and expressive, with such a perfumed elegance and vibrance.

Taste: Medium-bodied here, those jasmine florals carry through, along with orange blossoms and honey, with still that oriental tone of agarwood. It’s bright and fresh, and yet delivered with an almost buttery richness. It has great precision and is almost crystalline and candied in its definition.

Finish: More of those citruses, along with jasmine florals and honey, now joined by a more concentrated yet rustic sweetness of barley sugars. It leads into a clean and dry finish, with perfumed aromatics of jasmine tea lingering.

 

My Thoughts

Absolutely incredible! This absolutely took my breath away! Those exotic oriental scents and flavours were expressive and vibrant on the nose, whilst delivered in an almost candied yet fresh and precise body on the palate, with a long finish that played out in full richness and saturation those aromatics. This was perfumed yet paired with a good richness, and so contrasts elegant aromatics with a stellar body. The finesse in drawing out and fully painting with the Viognier is completely impressive and expertly handled here. The full spectrum is brought out on showcase on the perfect canvas.

Wine Review: E. Guigal Condrieu La Doriane

 

Now we arrive at the pinnacle of Guigal’s Viognier mastery: La Doriane. This is crafted from select parcels across five esteemed lieux-dits of Condrieu: Côte Chatillon, Colombier, Volan, Coteau de Chéry, and Vernon.

Whereas vinification of the Condrieu Blanc takes place mostly in stainless steel, vinification of the La Doriane takes place in 100% new French oak barrels, before a further aging of 9 months in new oak. The Condrieu Blanc is best enjoyed young, but the La Doriane can be aged for up to 10 years. We're tasting the 2023 vintage.

Tasting Notes

Colour: Deep straw with golden flecks.

Aroma: Instantly arresting. It’s dense and compact, with incredibly vivid aromatics that unfold all at once, starting with a deeply savoury layer of lacquered oriental wood and prosciutto, almost like aged ham sliced into warm air. Then come waves of white florals, jasmine and honeysuckle, that float alongside oolong tea leaves, apricots, and a light musty tone that reminds me of dried florals stored in parchment.

There’s this complex blend of pine nuttiness and crushed seashells that emerges later, rounding out a nuanced profile.

Taste: Lifted, airy feel– medium-light in texture but saturated with flavour. Opens with jasmine tea and acacia honey, then slowly brings in these gentle orchard fruits of crisp slices of apple and pear, some lacquered agarwood note as the nose that give a slightly resinous dimension. Vanilla milk candy and a light black tea bitterness come in later, grounding the floral and fruity tones with structure. The body feels creamy but isn’t weighty, and the acidity is calibrated to be just enough to carry the flavour through without it becoming cloying.

Finish: Long and persistent, marked by a lingering florals and a lactic, lightly milky roundness. There’s something almost brothy or umami here, reminding me a little of chicken essence or a clear chicken consommé – but just a light savouriness that blends surprisingly well with the creaminess and floral lift. Some lingering jasmine and a faint waxiness before tapering off cleanly.

 

My Thoughts

This is a masterfully evocative expression of Viognier. It’s super complex and loaded with nuance, from savoury prosciutto and umami broth to waxy florals and tea-like bitterness. Somehow this pulls together sweet, savoury, floral and mineral elements with perfect harmony. It’s seamless and very intense, all very compact and perfumed, but not overwhelming.

The regular Condrieu is already a benchmark, but this shows even more intensity and resolution – it’s like the floral, fruity, and spicy elements have all been rendered in higher definition. And yet, despite that richness, there’s a remarkable clarity and lift to the wine. The airy texture keeps it from ever feeling thick or oily, and there’s a sense of internal structure from the presence of acidity that suggests this could still over the next decade. What surprised me most was the masterful integration of those deeply savoury notes and the sheer perfume.

 

@CharsiuCharlie