2014 Cote Rotie La Turque

Moving to the La Turque releases, this cuvée comes from a tiny parcel in the Côte Brune lieu-dit and includes slightly less Viognier than the La Mouline, co-fermented with 7% Viognier. It’s always aged the standard four years in new oak. The 2014 Côte Rôtie La Turque is deeper and richer than the 2014 (although it’s not as perfumed or exotic) and offers classic cassis, charred meats, violets, and smoky notes in its medium to full-bodied, layered, oh so classic Côte Rôtie style. It’s already approachable yet will keep for 2-3 decades. The big news at the Guigal estate is the purchase of Domaine de Nalys in Châteauneuf-du-Pape. The family has always wanted an estate in the South, and Nalys is an unrealized treasure trove of awesome terroir and old vines, both of which I’ve no doubt will be maximized by this talented family. In addition, the former winemaker at Paul Jaboulet Aîné, Jacques Desvernois, has joined the team, and while it’s not clear exactly what his role will be, I suspect he will largely lead the charge at Domaine de Nalys. Either way, Desvernois is an incredible talent and can only add to what is already a well-oiled machine. As to the wines reviewed in this report, I was able to taste multiple vintages of each of the cuvées and have listed the wines by cuvée as opposed to by vintage, which is how we tasted through the wines.