2022 E. Guigal, Cote Rotie, La Turque

Crafted from a one-hectare parcel on iron oxide and clay soils, the 2022 Cote Rotie La Turque presents a reserved yet characteristically somber profile, revealing aromas of spices, licorice, pencil lead, oak and spices mingled with gingerbread. Full-bodied, concentrated and muscular, it's structured with a layered, dense, almost compact core of fruit and concludes with a brooding, firm and long finish, though the oak notes are somewhat prominent. Given its sunny terroir and extended barrel maturation process, La Turque typically requires over a decade or two of aging to develop its full potential.

Cask sample. A sanguine note on the nose, red and dark fruits, distinct five-spice and star-anise note. There is density and power and superbly rounded tannins and a deep minerality underneath of gravel – crushed violets sneakily hide under a veil of oak and are followed by a hit of liquorice as well. (AC)