1998 Condrieu

The Guigals recently completed yet another major expansion of their winemaking facility and with the purchase of some state-of-the-art bottling equipment can now produce magnums for the first time. Still, said Philippe Guigal, they will be extremely hesitant to make magnums of La Mouline, La Landonne or La Turque, as demand for these bottles already far exceeds their supply. The Guigals, who tend to release wines later than most of their Rhone Valley colleagues and usually bring out new vintages in October, had just released several '96s from major appellations (Hermitage, Cote-Rotie, Chateauneuf du Pape and Gigondas). While these wines were distinctly higher in acidity and more tightly wrapped than most of the '97s and '98s I was tasting on my recent trip, they were consistently stylish and aromatically intriguing. The '96 cru bottlings, still in barrel in November, boast richness that transcends this rather "northern" vintage, thanks to late harvesting that lasted until the middle of October.