E. Guigal - Côte-Rôtie La Mouline 2020

Bettane & Desseauve

About the domain :

Marcel and Philippe Guigal work together to run this fine family business, which since 2017 has expanded southwards into Châteauneuf-du-Pape (77 hectares owned), to be complemented in spring 2022 by the 100 hectares of Château d'Aquéria. And still the rich parcel of land in Côte Rotie, Condrieu, Saint Joseph and Hermitage. Enthusiasts can enjoy some of the valley's finest cuvées, not forgetting the brilliant Côtes-du-Rhône, in all three colors, and Tavel, Philippe's favorite cru.

Decanter

About the wine:

Dried plum-like fruit with a hint of prune in the mix. Medium-bodied, with fresh, fine tannins; a rather ethereal La Mouline style, with floral notes and an abundance of spicy oak among the roses. A compact style of wine for the vintage that matches what this vineyard offers - a good expression of terroir. I'd drink it young, but it will age quite well.

Guide Hachette des vins

About the domain :

In addition to its côte-rôtie, hermitage and condrieu "treasures", Maison Guigal owns two fine parcels of saint-joseph: the lieu-dit "Saint-Joseph", which gave its name to the appellation, and the Vignes de l'Hospice planted on a steep granite hillside, already spotted by the monks of the Hospice de Tournon and with a geological formation similar to the famous colline des Bessards in hermitage.

Guide des Vins Gault & Millau

About the domain :

An emblematic figure in the Northern Rhône, Marcel Guigal is both a major wine merchant and a great owner. Under this second hat, he manages famous Côte Rôtie crus such as La Mouline, La Turque and La Landonne, not to mention La Doriane in Condrieu. A tireless worker with a tireless intellectual curiosity, he succeeded his father, Etienne. Philippe Guigal, oenologist and representative of the third generation, carries on the work in duo with his father, still based on this property-trading duality. Vinification of the northern appellations all takes place at Ampuis.

Robert Parker - Wine Advocate

About the wine:

Dominated by dark notes of espresso, black olive and pumpernickel, the 2020 Cote Rotie La Mouline was devoid of the vineyard's usually expressive floral aromas. Full-bodied and rich, this is an atypical, muscular and closed vintage of La Mouline for now. It will be interesting to see how it evolves over the next few years of ageing.

About the domain :

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

About the domain :

The most emblematic house in the northern Rhône Valley needs no introduction. Under this name, we bring together the cuvées from our own vineyards, which we separate from our trading activities. We thus find the famous Côte-Rôtie trio: La Mouline, La Turque and La Landonne; the first two are brands, the last a registered terroir. Added to these are the Château d'Ampuis cuvée and the Condrieu La Doriane. In addition to these star crus, there's the cuvée Vignes de l'Hospice, a Saint Joseph located on a magnificent terroir, as well as a few large plots in Hermitage from which the cuvée Ex-Voto is made. Marcel Guigal is ably supported by his son Philippe, who seems to be gently inflecting the style of the wines, with ageing that seems a little less dominant. Needless to say, all these wines are made for long ageing.

Jancis Robinson

About the wine:

Grilled note on the nose, but enormous density of delicious fruit behind. Very fine tannins. Flirtatious in a Burgundian way.

Vinous A. Galloni

About the wine:

The Côte-Rôtie La Mouline 2020 is spectacular, blending orange peel, dried meat, crushed rocks, violets, raspberry and cedar with a touch of espresso. Mentholated nuances complete the seductive aromatic profile. Tight, soft-tasting tannins frame this exceptional La Mouline, which manages to combine elegance and power in a remarkable way. I look forward to tasting it once bottled.

Jeb Dunnuck

About the wine:

The 2020 Côte Rôtie La Mouline, which includes a healthy dose of Viognier, comes from a steeply terraced parcel in the Côte Blonde locality and will spend four years in new French oak barrels, putting it at the top of the single vineyard wines. I don't think it has the density of the 2015 or 2019, but it has an incredibly classic La Mouline profile, with floral and perfumed notes of red and black fruits, spicy oak, roasted meats and exotic spices that are to die for. With its full-bodied richness, layered, multidimensional mouthfeel and seamless, integrated tannins, it will shine with just a few years of bottle age and evolve for 15 to 30 years in cool cellars.