E. Guigal

E. Guigal is one of the most notable wine producers in the Rhône Valley. It was founded in 1946 by Etienne Guigal in Amphuis, a small village near Côte Rôtie with a long history of winegrowing, and today has plots throughout the Rhône. Guigal makes wines from classic Mediterranean varieties like Grenache, Mourvèdre, Viognier and Roussanne, although the focus has always been on Syrah and Côte Rôtie.

The company's sizeable holdings run the length of the valley, encompassing Saint-Joseph, Hermitage, Gigondas, Condrieu and Chateauneuf-du-Pape, making wines in each, as well as a couple of Côte du Rhône wines. However, Guigal's most notable wines – La Landonne, La Turque and La Mouline – are all from Côte Rôtie, and are some of the most sought-after wines in the region. In fact, all three have had 100-point Robert Parker scores for multiple vintages.

La Mouline and La Turque are both Syrah – Viognier blends from vines with an age of up to 75 years old. Both spend around 42 months in new oak before release and are dense and aromatic. La Landonne is 100 percent Syrah, from 35-year-old vines, and spends a similar amount of time in oak. A fourth Côte Rôtie wine, Château d'Ampuis, is named for a historical site that was acquired by Guigal in 1995.

Guigal also makes a late-harvest dessert wine from Viognier in the Condrieu appellation, called Luminescence. This wine is only made in exceptional vintages, and has been the victim of theft – in the excellent 2015 vintage, a third of the grapes were harvested without the knowledge of the winemakers.