Côte Rôtie La Mouline 2008 75cl

An alluring wine, with steeped currant, dark truffle, roasted apple wood and espresso aromas and flavors all mingling together, backed by a solid spine of charcoal and ganache notes. A sanguine edge runs underneath and should emerge more as this softens in the cellar.

Already up-front and easy-drinking, with a surprising lack of depth and concentration, the 2008 Cote Rotie la Mouline gives up plenty of peppered game, underbrush, and sweet fruit to go with a medium-bodied, elegant and straightforward profile on the palate. While I think it will still be better in a couple of years, it’s easily the weakest la Mouline in over a decade and will need drinking in its first 10-15 years of life. In contrast, a recent bottle of 2008 La Torque delivered noticeably more depth and concentration. One of the reference point estates for top quality wines in the world today, the family run Guigal operation was created in 1946 by Etienne Guigal. Today, Etienne’s son, Marcel, and his son Philippe, are firmly in control here, and are without a doubt producing some of the most singular, sought after wines in the world. Due to the size of this tasting, I’ll keep my comments short, but the incredible quality coming from this operation is astounding, and a tasting here is always one of the highlights of any trip through the region. Furthermore, while a lot is said about the extended oak aging regime here, I don’t know anyone who tastes mature examples of these wines on a regular basis that still has any doubts about the genius going on here. In short, these single vineyard (and their blends as well) Cote Roties are some of the greatest wines money can buy. For this tasting (which, with the Guigals, is always a large one!), we focused on their Saint Joseph Vignes des Hospice release, and then three of their Cote Roties, starting with the classic Brune et Blonde, then the Chateau d’Ampuis, and finishing with their single vineyard La Mouline.