2003 Hermitage Ex-Voto

Philippe Guigal calls 2017 “a year of weight but also structure. The wines don’t show the way people imagine hot-year wines do. There is no overripeness or softness. It’s an interesting mix of qualities.” Two thousand sixteen is the current release for the La La bottlings, and Guigal’s take on the vintage is that “it was a nice change from the strictness and power of the ‘15s, which are going to need a lot of patience.” Compared to the earlier vintage, the 2016s “show more classic elegance, which is the style that Côte-Rôtie became famous for in the first place,” he said. They are highly age-worthy, he thinks, “because they have excellent freshness and the tannins are in great balance with the fruit, not standing out even if they’re young.” I have mentioned before that the Côte-Rôtie Château d’Ampuis delivers fabulous value for a high-end wine of the appellation, and that is definitely the case with the fabulous 2016, a wine that should be high up on any Guigal enthusiast’s shopping list. I’d also look out for the Saint-Josephs from 2017, which are among the best examples of that region that I have ever tasted here. Better yet, they can be found relatively easily and the pricing, especially for the Lieu-dit Saint-Joseph, can be extremely fair given the quality.

“Two thousand thirteen is a red wine vintage that deserves patience,” Philippe Guigal believes. “The wines are structured and the tannins are firm, which is great for aging but not so much for drinking now or any time soon,” he added. That’s quite unlike the 2012s here, which are wines that already lead with fruit. It might come as a surprise to many to learn just how important white wine production is here. Guigal produces almost half of all the Condrieu made now, which is pretty remarkable, and while their “basic” bottling represents outstanding value by the appellation’s standard, the real hidden gem here is the Côtes-du-Rhône Blanc. The 2015 version, which is made from 65 percent Viognier, along with Roussanne and Marsanne, is an outstanding value in northern Rhône white wine. It drinks a lot like a Condrieu, in fact, with the Viognier component coming through loud and clear. Guigal’s 2014s are shaping up to be forward, fresh and fruit-driven, in the style of the 2012s. Philippe thinks that they will definitely be wines to drink before the 2013s. But he also thinks that because of their energy, they will surprise many people with their ability to age gracefully. “Look at some vintages of the 80s and 90s that people said were light and to drink early, like ’87 and ’97, and how well many of the wines turned out.” Those who favor rich, weighty wines might not be impressed, he said, “but if you like Syrah in an elegant style, then 2014 will be a very pleasant experience.”

“Two thousand thirteen is a red wine vintage that deserves patience,” Philippe Guigal believes. “The wines are structured and the tannins are firm, which is great for aging but not so much for drinking now or any time soon,” he added. That’s quite unlike the 2012s here, which are wines that already lead with fruit. It might come as a surprise to many to learn just how important white wine production is here. Guigal produces almost half of all the Condrieu made now, which is pretty remarkable, and while their “basic” bottling represents outstanding value by the appellation’s standard, the real hidden gem here is the Côtes-du-Rhône Blanc. The 2015 version, which is made from 65 percent Viognier, along with Roussanne and Marsanne, is an outstanding value in northern Rhône white wine. It drinks a lot like a Condrieu, in fact, with the Viognier component coming through loud and clear. Guigal’s 2014s are shaping up to be forward, fresh and fruit-driven, in the style of the 2012s. Philippe thinks that they will definitely be wines to drink before the 2013s. But he also thinks that because of their energy, they will surprise many people with their ability to age gracefully. “Look at some vintages of the 80s and 90s that people said were light and to drink early, like ’87 and ’97, and how well many of the wines turned out.” Those who favor rich, weighty wines might not be impressed, he said, “but if you like Syrah in an elegant style, then 2014 will be a very pleasant experience.”

Philippe Guigal was distinctly under the weather when I came to see him the week before Christmas and he insisted that we conduct our tasting "from as far away from each other as possible" lest I get anything even remotely similar to whatever mutation of flu was attacking him. Under the circumstances he was surprisingly animated as he discussed recent vintages and their triumphs and travails. He said that 2013 was a vintage of mixed blessings because on the one hand demand has never been higher but on the other production was down dramatically, "so you can't win." It was an especially tough year for Grenache in the south, he said, which means that, as in 2011, there will be more Syrah than normal in their wildly successful and widely available Côtes-du-Rhône. Guigal calls 2012 "a pretty much perfect year for a winery because the wines are very appealing young but have the material to age, so everybody can be happy." The 2011s, he thinks, will be appreciated by "those who appreciate the differences of terroir because the distinctions from appellation to appellation and vineyard to vineyard are very clear, unlike in riper years." The '11s will likely be best over the short to medium term, in his estimation, "but they have the balance to surprise you" if you choose to let them rest for a bit. On the subject of 2010, Guigal shrugged his shoulders and said, "well, we know what happened there, right? A great, great year for the patient, not so much if you want to drink them young."

Since the practice here isn't to release wines on a predictable schedule, a cellar visit offers the chance to taste a wide-ranging set of vintages, from bottle as well as cask: current releases here stretch back to 2007, for example. Philippe Guigal summed up the most recent vintages in the northern Rhone as "a kind of crazy show of extremes: '07 fruity and supple, '08 bright and lean, '09 ripe and exotic, '10 structured and masculine, '11 a more round and fruity version of '08, and '12 a more friendly and open '10." In other words, he said, "we've seen almost every possible style that you can imagine in a really short time, without any of the vintages being truly bad." That's not to say that he doesn't have his preferences (that would be 2010, for the patient) and, from what I gleaned from our conversation, 2009, which he called "a vintage for wine lovers while 2010 is for wine collectors."

The low yields of 2010 were a painful slap to Guigal and everybody in the Rhone, Philippe Guigal commented."It was even more painful since it's a superb vintage," he added.Tasting here is a moving target as the Guigals like to release wines as they deem them fit, which can mean that a "regular" Hermitage might be held back longer than the luxury Ex-Voto bottling from the same vintage, or the Chateau d'Ampuis Cote-Rotie may be put on the market before the flagship Brune et Blonde version."There's no set regimen for how the wines are raised, when they are bottled, or when they are released," said Philippe."The wine makes the decision and wines change a lot during elevage, so we can't predict what will happen too far in advance."

It was important to watch for ripeness in 2009, said Philippe Guigal, "or you ran the danger of your sugars taking off, especially with viognier." He pointed out that only 2% of the production of the Rhone Valley is white wine but that white represents 25% of Guigal's production, "which is pretty funny when you consider how we are identified with Cote-Rotie." Guigal sells an enormous quantity of wine to Japan, but Philippe told me that "contrary to what that might suggest, our wines-and Rhone whites in general-are not very good matches with lighter seafood or, especially, shellfish. They're too rich and too creamy to go well with delicate fish and mollusks. With lobster, crab or rich fish like halibut, salmon or even turbot in a buttery sauce it's another story." Guigal said that he is "starting to think that 2007 is going to turn out a lot better for syrah than we expected. The wines are putting on weight and developing structure that we didn't anticipate. They actually aren't so gentle so maybe they're going to surprise us with their ability to age."

It was important to watch for ripeness in 2009, said Philippe Guigal, "or you ran the danger of your sugars taking off, especially with viognier." He pointed out that only 2% of the production of the Rhone Valley is white wine but that white represents 25% of Guigal's production, "which is pretty funny when you consider how we are identified with Cote-Rotie." Guigal sells an enormous quantity of wine to Japan, but Philippe told me that "contrary to what that might suggest, our wines-and Rhone whites in general-are not very good matches with lighter seafood or, especially, shellfish. They're too rich and too creamy to go well with delicate fish and mollusks. With lobster, crab or rich fish like halibut, salmon or even turbot in a buttery sauce it's another story." Guigal said that he is "starting to think that 2007 is going to turn out a lot better for syrah than we expected. The wines are putting on weight and developing structure that we didn't anticipate. They actually aren't so gentle so maybe they're going to surprise us with their ability to age."

The Guigals were so unimpressed by the quality of the fruit they were offered from the southern Rhone in 2008 that they decided not to make any red wines from this region, Philippe Guigal told me. "The fruit was simply too fragile," said Guigal, "and we weren't confident that it would stand up to our type of elevage, which we like to extend." This means that there will be no 2008 red Cotes du Rhone for the first time since 1992. Guigal is impressed by the "flexibility" of 2007. "The fruit is up front, there's enough acidity to give the wines the balance for aging, yet the tannins are soft enough that they can be drunk young." Guigal told me that he is liking 2006 more and more "because the wines are very spicy and floral, and have real integrity, balance and precision. They aren't powerful like the '05s, but they'll live a long time on their balance. People forget that elegant wines can often outlive the big guys." The just-bottled 2006 Cote-Rotie Brune et Blonde wasn't in a state for tasting when I visited Guigal at the beginning of November so I will report on this wine next year.

The big news at Guigal this year was the recent acquisition of a half hectare of vines in Condrieu's prized Chery vineyard. In the 2008 vintage this fruit will go into Guigal's La Doriane bottling, and Philippe Guigal believes it will add an extra dimension of finesse to the wine. On the subject of reds, Guigal describes 2007 as "a rich, generous vintage that will be approachable young but has the depth and balance to age. " He added that the 2005s will need at least as much time as the 1978s. "I can't imagine them giving much pleasure before they are at least a decade old. " The 2006s, he reiterated, "will be long-lived, which might surprise people who are seduced by all their fruit right now. " The grapes for this estate's red wines have only been completely destemmed once, in 2002, which no doubt contributes to their complex, intensely spicy bouquets. Incidentally, 2004 was the first vintage in which the Guigals used only their own house-made barriques. (Ex-Cellars Wine Agencies, Solvang, CA) Also recommended: 2007 Cotes du Rhone Blanc (87), 2007 Cotes du Rhone Rose (86), 2007 Tavel Rose (87).

As impressively-and often dramatically-as the Guigal red wines showed this year, some of the most intriguing moments occurred while I tasted through the expanding range of white wines on offer here.Vintage 2004 provided a marvelous opportunity to make intense, sharply focused whites that accurately reflect their sites, and Philippe Guigal is very pleased with the family's results.The red wines from 2004, as elsewhere in the Rhone Valley, show brighter red fruit qualities and greater elegance than the 2003s, but the character of 2003 hardly concerned the Guigals."We like to go with the vintage, rather than try to correct it or change its essential character," Philippe Guigal told me."Most people were scared of the ripeness of 2003 but we decided to go for maximum expression of this crazy year," he added.Macerations here are lengthy as a rule, but in 2003 they were extended to a full month, "for as much extraction as possible."The result, in the opinion of Philippe, is a group of wines "that are among the best we have ever made.I am incredibly happy."

Marcel Guigal expressed the opinion that Cote-Rotie was the most successful appellation in France in 2003. While my own tastings suggest that it's more variable in quality than Guigal believes, and too freakish to be considered a truly great vintage, Guigal's own single-vineyard Cote-Roties are stunningly rich, and his new Hermitage Ex-Voto is a monument in the making. Guigal, not surprisingly, took an approach to vinification different from that of most of his colleagues in the Northern Rhone:he did a longer fermentation than usual (between four and five weeks) and managed to extract very suave tannins. For those of you keeping score at home, 25% of the production of this large house is white wine, whereas in the RhoneValley as a whole, according to Marcel's son Philippe Guigal, white wine accounts for 3. 2% of the total. And Guigal vinified 40% of all Condrieu made in vintage 2004, according to Philippe. Clearly, the Guigals succeed in the marketplace with their white wines because they like them round and full-bodied; they are not fans of acidity in these wines.

Marcel Guigal expressed the opinion that Cote-Rotie was the most successful appellation in France in 2003. While my own tastings suggest that it's more variable in quality than Guigal believes, and too freakish to be considered a truly great vintage, Guigal's own single-vineyard Cote-Roties are stunningly rich, and his new Hermitage Ex-Voto is a monument in the making. Guigal, not surprisingly, took an approach to vinification different from that of most of his colleagues in the Northern Rhone:he did a longer fermentation than usual (between four and five weeks) and managed to extract very suave tannins. For those of you keeping score at home, 25% of the production of this large house is white wine, whereas in the RhoneValley as a whole, according to Marcel's son Philippe Guigal, white wine accounts for 3. 2% of the total. And Guigal vinified 40% of all Condrieu made in vintage 2004, according to Philippe. Clearly, the Guigals succeed in the marketplace with their white wines because they like them round and full-bodied; they are not fans of acidity in these wines.