I am interested in what the board thinks of the wines/
I have read that they are somewhat modern but have great typicity and structure.
What do you all think?
The Cote Rotie bottlings are fairly heavily oaked, to me a fatal flaw in Rhone wines. But then LaLa’s are similarly oaked, and get huge scores and prices.
I like the wines quite a bit despite the oaking. Very hard to get in the US. I had to buy them in Ampuis.
I don’t find the oaking to be that heavy handed, certainly nowhere close to the Guigals. I usually tend to stick to more traditionally styled Rhone producers (Gonon, Texier, Allemand, etc), but I’m a big fan of the Gangloff wines I’ve had.
The La Sereine Noir bottling is fantastic with some age on it. Wish availability/price here weren’t such issues.
Mathilde and Yves Gangloff are certainly excellent producers (but with a tiny quantity).
IMHO they make one of the best Condrieus, and two outstanding Cote-Roties (La Barbarine and La Sereine Noire).
Yes, all are modern in style with noticable oak influence in their youth, but the Condrieu is one of the few that can (no, that needs) age - had a bottle at age 14 that was very fine … and both CR are also excellent, really concentrated and complex.
However the new oak in the LSN can be quite heavy - I usually have no hurry with my wines, so no problem after 15 years (had the 97 last year), but not for early drinking.
And YES they are not cheap … I recommend to taste a bottle before ordering a larger quantity.
Nothing tasted after vintage 2003 - however, although I have 2 or 3 in the cellar.
Had this in Paris 2 years ago. I don’t recall noticing any oak:
Côte-Rôtie 2003 La Barbarine
M. et Y. Gangloff
14%
61€ for 500 ml @ Fish (La Boissonnerie), r. de Seine, Paris
C: Very dark.
N: Leather with notes of bacon.
P: Leather, myrtilles, dark spice. Very interesting and subtle with excellent length, good balance, well integrated. The only downside is that it seems a bit young, should get even better in a few years.
The one bottle of Gangloff Cote-Rotie I have tried was the 2000 La Sereine Noir just about one year ago (thanks Salil). It was very youthful, richly fruited and with lots of wild character. I really liked it a lot.
I have heard the Condrieu in the conversation of France’s greatest white wines more than once.
I do not find the Syrah’s heavily Oaked, or at least oaked out of balance by any means. I have had the St. Joseph Blanc very young upon release and found the Oak presence to steal the spotlight in that stage. The other bottlings are quite nice. The Condrieu is a big wine, and has tremendous power young. All the wines are in fact highly structured and patience is rewarded.
Relatively easy to find on the Central Coast of CA, as they are imported by John & Lorraine Alban (J&L Wines, Paso Robles). Fantastic producer.
Jeff, the Condrieu is indeed fabulous - atypical viognier, very intense and complex without being flabby or overripe (we will have one on our Thanksgiving table this year, as we did last year). I would agree that the syrahs are not out of balance, but if you get a chance try one along side a low oak wine like Allemand or Clape, then decide which (if either) style you prefer - there is a difference.
Cheers.
Stunning Condrieu producer.
Alan, there’s a difference for certain but I don’t find it all that pronounced (and normally I am one who runs screaming at more than a hint of oak in a lot of wines). The Gangloff that Zach referenced earlier was opened at a dinner where we also had Cote-Roties from Gallet and Jamet, two incredibly old school producers, and while it did come across a touch more modern with more smoke and richer fruit, it never contrasted in the way I’d expect something like a Guigal LaLa to, and I recall it being well received by all the Rhone fans at the table (who also share my taste for more old school style wines with less oak and more stems, a la Texier/Gonon.)