Guigal Cotes Du Rhone Rouge 2023 750ml

“Classic Rhône red with blackberry, cassis, dark cherry, peppery spice and smooth rounded tannins.”

Guigal Côtes du Rhône Rouge 2023 is one of those dependable French reds that manages to feel serious without making dinner feel like a formal occasion.

The blend is 50% Syrah, 40% Grenache and 10% Mourvèdre, with Syrah doing a little more of the heavy lifting than you often see in Côtes du Rhône. That gives the wine plenty of blackberry, cassis and dark cherry, with pepper, violets, dried herbs, tobacco and a savoury edge underneath. The palate is generous and rounded, with enough tannin to give it shape without becoming hard work.

Guigal is one of the benchmark names of the Rhône Valley, and this gives you a proper taste of the house style at a very approachable level. The 2023 has also picked up 92 points from Wine Enthusiast, 91 points from Jeb Dunnuck, 90 points from Wine Advocate and 90 points from Wine Spectator, which is a fairly persuasive set of numbers for an everyday Rhône red.

Tasting Notes

Aroma: Cassis, blackberry, dark cherry, violets, dried herbs and peppery spice.

Palate: Medium to full bodied with ripe dark fruit, savoury herbs, tobacco and smooth rounded tannins.

Finish: Long and balanced with lingering blackberry, black cherry, pepper and a subtle black olive note.

About The Winery

E. Guigal was founded in Ampuis in the Northern Rhône in 1946 and has grown into one of the most respected family owned producers in the region. The estate is best known for its famous Côte Rôtie wines, but the same focus on consistency and quality runs right through the range.

The Côtes du Rhône Rouge is one of Guigal’s signature wines and is deliberately built around Syrah, giving it more dark fruit, pepper and structure than many Grenache led examples. The 2023 is aged partly in large oak foudres, which helps soften the wine without burying the fruit under oak.

It is polished, reliable and very easy to recommend. Basically, the sort of bottle worth having around before you actually need one.

Cellaring Potential

The 2023 is already drinking well, with plenty of ripe fruit and supple texture, but it also has enough structure to develop nicely over the next five to seven years.

Collector’s Note

The 2023 vintage has received a strong run of reviews, including 92 points from Wine Enthusiast, 91 points from Jeb Dunnuck, 90 points from Wine Advocate and 90 points from Wine Spectator. For a regional Côtes du Rhône, that is an impressive result and reinforces just how consistently Guigal performs at this level.

Details

Producer: E. Guigal
Vintage: 2023
Blend: 50% Syrah, 40% Grenache, 10% Mourvèdre
Region: Rhône Valley, France
Appellation: Côtes du Rhône AOC
Bottle Size: 750ml
Wine Style: Classic Rhône Red Blend
Wine Sweetness: Dry
Wine Body: Medium to full bodied
ABV: 15%
Ageing: Partly aged in large oak foudres
Review: 92 Points, Wine Enthusiast; 91 Points, Jeb Dunnuck; 90 Points, Wine Advocate; 90 Points, Wine Spectator