TN: 2003 Guigal - "Brune et Blonde" Cote Rotie (France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côte-Rôtie)

WINE TALK
1

NOSE: tight; slight oak; beefy; pepper.

BODY: medium-light to medium bodied; mahogany-purple color of medium-deep depth (with burnt sienna at edges); fine particulate matter present.

TASTE: strong olive; a bit green; fig & plum; acidic – a bit tart; short finish; not hot (13% alc.); not tannic.

B: 50, 5, 10, 14, 6 = 85 (85 pts.)

Posted from CellarTracker

2

That’s interesting Brian,
That doesn’t sound like a wine from a very warm/hot season to me. I wonder if they pulled the fruit a bit early because of skyrocketing sugars and dehydration???

3

I’m thinking off bottle, or it was in a weird stage in its evolution. My note is starkly different than the majority of CT notes, so something was going on.

I had a very similar experience with an '03 Vieux Donjon a few weeks back — surprisingly light mouthfeel, depth of flavors, and even color concentration. Didn’t come across like an '03 at all.

4

Wow – that’s a brutal note.

I had this guy earlier this year, and while it had many of the “roasted” components that seem typical of the vintage, it still had enough fruit and balance to merit a 91+ score IMHO. I thought the Jamet from the same vintage offered a little more complexity, but this wine didn’t stike me as alcoholic (until I tried to stand up, at least).

5

I know I had this bottle recently - perhaps about a month ago - and while I can’t find my notes on it, I recall enjoying it. I was expecting an overroasted, overripe mess based on the vintage, but I’m sure I didn’t get any - I recall quite the opposite. Seems like bottle variation, but it would be rather extreme - however, with the range of reports on CT, it’s certainly possible.

I’ll be opening one next Thursday - my last bottle - and will post my thoughts.