Rhone Reds

wines

A very complex and complete nose with everything so integrated and beautifully judged. There are ripe blackberries, blood plums, fragrant spices, dark stones and roasted coffee, to name just some of what is already on offer here. The palate has such richness and such build and layering with ripe dark plums and blackberries, clothed in robes of spice-laden, velvety tannins in a majestic mode. Pure class and a great vintage for sure. One of the best ever. Best from 2025.James Suckling | 99 JSThe 2015 Cote Rotie La Mouline contains the most Viognier of any of Guigal’s La Las: 11%. That tends to make it more open and approachable when young, but the 2015 seemed closed at the time of my visit. Cedar and vanilla frame mixed berries in a full-bodied, plush wine that somehow never seems heavy. It shows great elegance and length, and I’m confident the complexity it showed at earlier tastings will reemerge with a few years in the bottle.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 98 RPOpaque, bright-rimmed ruby. Expansive, mineral-tinged aromas of ripe red and blue fruits, incense, bacon fat, olive, mocha and pungent flowers are accented by an exotic Moroccan spice nuance. Sappy and deeply concentrated and energetic on the palate, offering vibrant boysenberry, black raspberry, olive paste, smoked meat, five-spice powder and violet pastille flavors that are underscored by a vein of minerality. Supple, gently gripping tannins build steadily a floral- and mineral-driven finish that hangs on with resonating spiciness and superb tenacity.Vinous Media | 98 VMThis is packed with notes of red and black currant preserves, raspberry pâte de fruit and plum reduction at the core. A long way from opening, as the fruit is encased in layers of singed alder, warm earth and smoldering tobacco. A singed iron spine girds the finish. Should offer a gorgeous display of fruit when this develops fully. Best from 2025 through 2045. 88 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 98 WSThe 2015 Côte Rôtie La Mouline has closed down substantially since I tasted it from barrel, yet it’s nevertheless a magical wine in the making. Sporting a deep, saturated purple color as well as a monster bouquet of crème de cassis, graphite, crushed rocks, and hints of flowers, it hits the palate with full-bodied richness, building tannins, and a focused, tight, backward vibe that’s going to need 4-5 years of bottle age. It’s going to be incredibly long-lived.Jeb Dunnuck | 98+ JDThis has the perfume and aromatic lift you would want from the Côte-Blonde, incense and star anise, intense, fresh and vibrant, combined with plentiful oak spice. The tannins are tight, a little drying, delivering a slightly pinched feel on the palate, but the finish is long, and the tannins are exceptionally fine. Good sense of purity to the fruit. Fermented in stainless steel, 40 months in new French oak barriques. Drinking Window 2025 - 2033Decanter | 95 DEC

The 2015 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée de Mon Aïeul is another gorgeous wine from this family estate. As always it comes from three Grenache parcels: la Serres, La Crau and La Guigasse (there are 2 hectares in each parcel). In both 2015 and 2016 this cuvée wasn’t destemmed and was brought up mostly in tank, with 15-20% in demi-muids. The 2016 spent a huge 45 days on skins before being pressed to barrel. This beauty offers the fine, finesse-driven style of the vintage, yet has full-bodied depth and richness as well as sensational notes of framboise, crushed flowers, licorice, Christmas fruitcake and spice. It’s in the top handful of wines in the vintage and will benefit from short-term cellaring and have 20+ years of overall longevity.Jeb Dunnuck | 97 JD(aged entirely in concrete vats) Lurid ruby-red. Exotic, intensely perfumed aromas of candied red and blue fruits, lavender and peppery spices, joined by a slowly emerging hint of garrigue. Fleshy and expansive on the palate, offering concentrated raspberry, cherry and fruitcake flavors and a spicy suggestion of white pepper. Shows excellent focus and a seamless quality on the finish, which is framed by suave, slow-building tannins.Vinous Media | 93-95 VMA bolder, more concentrated and compressed expression with darker plum and cherry fruits on the nose and palate. The power and concentration here is impressive. Gently chocolate-flavored at the finish. Terrific wine. Drink now.James Suckling | 94 JSNext to the traditional cuvée, the 2015 Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee de Mon Aieul is even riper and more concentrated, but that’s not always a good thing. This all-Grenache cuvée offers fudge-like density and rich tannins but also cooked, dead-fruit flavors and bright acidity on the finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 91 RP