E. Guigal E. Guigal Côte Rôtie Brune et Blonde de Guigal 2018 750ml

Opaque violet color. Smoke-accented cherry, dark berry preserve. fruitcake and incense aromas are complemented by suggestions of vanilla, olive and baking spices. Fleshy and expansive in the mouth, offering alluringly sweet red and blue fruit, exotic spice and dark chocolate flavors and repeating smokiness. Displays excellent clarity and spicy cut on the long, smooth finish, which features polished tannins and reverberating blue fruit and floral notes.

This pushes lots of alder, incense and singed tobacco notes to the fore, with commensurate cherry and red currant paste flavors following behind that, finishing with perfume and red tea accents. This is not shy with its oak treatment and very nicely done. Best from 2022 through 2034. 500 cases imported. (James Molesworth)

I suspect the 2018 Côte Rôtie Brune Et Blonde will be up there with the top vintages of this cuvée, and it shows how strong 2018 was for Côte Rôtie. Beautiful cassis, vanilla bean, spring flowers, and subtle oak nuances give way to a full-bodied beauty that has both power and finesse. I love the tannin quality here, and while it’s going to be accessible in its youth, it’s also going to age gracefully on its purity and balance. (Jeb Dunnuck)

I suspect the 2018 Côte Rôtie Brune Et Blonde will be up there with the top vintages of this cuvée, and it shows how strong 2018 was for Côte Rôtie. Beautiful cassis, vanilla bean, spring flowers, and subtle oak nuances give way to a full-bodied beauty that has both power and finesse. I love the tannin quality here, and while it’s going to be accessible in its youth, it’s also going to age gracefully on its purity and balance.

A bit more concentrated and powerful than the 2016 and 2017 versions, the 2018 Cote Rotie Brune et Blonde looks as if it could rival the 2015. Mixed blueberries and raspberries suffuse the nose of this full-bodied, velvety-textured beauty. Long and rich, it adds hints of espresso on the finish.