The 1989 single vineyard Cote Roties are magnificent. Now that they are three months away from bottling, their taste is reminiscent of Guigal's 1985s and 1982s. All of them possess fabulous concentration, sweet, expansive personalities. The 1989 La Mouline is an explosively rich wine, with its profound perfume of violets, black-raspberries, and creamy, toasty new oak. It should drink well for the next 10-15 years. Guigal's Cote Roties, particularly the single vineyard wines, are exceptional wines. They offer extraordinary flavor intensity, impeccable purity, and awesome length and complexity. The yields from the three vineyards - La Mouline, La Landonne, and La Turque - rarely exceed two tons per acre. Moreover, no one harvests any later. That the wines spend nearly three and one-half years in 100% new oak tells you something about the level of extraction Guigal is able to achieve. While the oak is noticeable for 1-2 years after bottling, anyone who has tasted the 1985s, 1983s, 1982s, 1980s, or 1978s would be hard-pressed to find evidence of new oak. The level of fruit extraction in these wines literally soaks up the oak, making them all the more structured and complex. While all three wines share phenomenal concentration and marvelous perfumes, they could not be more different. Importer: Classic Wines, Boston, MA.

Velvety, concentrated and beautifully balanced. The raspberry flavor and vanilla oak marry seamlessly and ride effortlessly over rich tannins. An ager; try in 2000.--Guigal Cote-Rotie vertical. 500 cases made. -TM