9/2000. Bought at auction, Feb-2000 for $360.
Unless one is really rich there could be no rational justification for paying $360 for a bottle of wine. So I won't even try. Still, I am grateful for those occasional moments of insanity. They allow us to taste the best things in life (and I don't mean only wine...).
So far I have tasted only two bottles of Guigal's single-vineyard Cote Rotie: the 1983 La Mouline and the 1988 La Landonne. Both were truly divine.
For this Friday night dinner at home, we felt like opening a really good bottle. No guests, no special occasion. Just the two of us.
Tonight's 'La Turque' accompanied a home-made puff-pastry toppled with all sorts of goodies followed by a delicate and delicious 'Steak Tartare' with rushti potatoes.
COLOR: Deep blackish-red. Solid color but not without a little clearing around the rim.
NOSE: Deep, powerful, complex and captivating. Black forest-fruit, spices, earthy tones, chocolate and plenty of wood. Impressive mixture of fine aromas. A "Wow!" kind of nose with all the elements in place. The elements are there all right, but the glue is still somewhat missing. In 4-5 years I am sure they will all mold together to create a most beautiful and harmonious nose.
TASTE: A huge wine on the palate. Sweetish spicy and opulent fruit. Multi-dimensioned, complex and extremely concentrated. But here, even more so than on the nose, the wine is definitely still away from maturity. Some rough edges still noticeable and, while not lacking in elegance, it has not yet reached its mellow stage. A fantastic vinous experience now, though undoubtedly an even better one in a few years.
LENGTH: This one simply never ended! The length and the amplitude of the aftertaste were among the most impressive I remember.
TEXTURE & BALANCE: A really big wine in every respect. Plenty of concentrated fruit. Fantastic grip and focus. Superbly structured with very good acidity and rounded tannins. Perfectly balanced though still not harmonious enough.
OVERALL: Outstanding!! If you have a few of these then by all means enjoy a bottle now. But if, like me, you have only one bottle - don't be as stupid. Wait a few more years...

MARK: 19/20.

BUY MORE? Maybe.

Reach Me? yak@yakshaya.com

Copyright 1996-2003.
Jacob "Yak" Shaya.