12/00. Bought at auction, Mar-2000 for $395.
Guigal's 'Single Vineyards' Cote Roties are rightly considered among the very best [and the most expensive] wines in the world.
I have had this magnificent wine about 19 months ago at Gidleigh Park in England. It was what the gods must be drinking when they are feeling festive.
So, when I saw two bottles at auction some six months ago, I simply could not resist the temptation. As for the small matter of the price tag, the less said about - the better...
We opened this jewel for a wonderful Friday night dinner at home (no guests this time). Dorit made a perfect Oeuf en Meurette for starters, followed by a delicious duck roasted in honey spices and oranges, accompanied by wholly baked potatoes with sour-cream and dill.
COLOR: Mature looking medium ruby, slightly brownish in hue with some clearing around the rim. Plenty of sediment.
NOSE: Explosive nose of black forest-fruit, sweetish dried prunes and various spices simply sprouts out of the glass. Deep, rich and fully mature, the harmonious fruit completely integrated with the complex secondary and tertiary aromas. Totally captivating.
TASTE: 5 meter wing-span? Oh, that's how you may describe an Albatross, not a wine. But this giant of nectars filled the mouth with fathomless multi-layered multi-dimensional flavors. Hugely concentrated and winey, without losing it elegance for a moment. Smooth and complex layers of fruit balanced by receding tannins and excellent acidity. No words would do justice to this perfection of wine.
LENGTH: Infinite. The power and length of the aftertaste are unbelievable. This wine simply never ends.
TEXTURE & BALANCE: A full bodied nectar of huge dimensions. But it is not sheer power we are talking here. It is depth and breadth of structure and flavors. Winey elegant and focused, with solid backbone and fantastic grip. Smooth and perfectly balanced with absolutely no rough edges. At 17 years of age this wine has now reached its heavenly vertex.
OVERALL: Divine!!! As R. Parker would have said (and this time he would be right) - this wine is awesome.

MARK: 20/20.

BUY MORE? Yes (if NASDAQ ever gets back to 5000...).

Reach Me? yak@yakshaya.com

Copyright 1996-2003.
Jacob "Yak" Shaya.