2009 E. Guigal Côte-Rôtie La Landonne

I’ve been lucky to have drunk close to a case of the 2009 Côte Rôtie La Landonne, and if there’s a more perfect Syrah out there, I don’t know of it. Revealing a vivid ruby/purple color, it delivers a spectacular bouquet of crème de cassis, smoked meats, graphite, spring flowers, crushed rocks, and hints of bacon fat. Possessing full-bodied richness, a colossal, massive core of fruit, ample polished tannins, and perfectly integrated oak, it’s a thrill a minute due to the opulence and sexiness of the vintage yet promises to last for another 30-40 years. It’s one of the greatest Syrahs ever produced.

Much more upfront and easy to read than the backward 2010, the 2009 Cote Rotie la Landonne is an insanely beautiful wine. Smoked meats, game, black olives, charcoal, black raspberries and pepper all literally soar from this beauty and it hits the palate with a massively concentrated, almost over-the-top decadence that's impossible to resist. Despite its wealth of fruit, it has a huge core of tannin and needs 4-5 years at a minimum. Like the 2010, it will have a half-century or more of longevity.

Glass-staining purple. Explosive aromas of dark berries, fresh violet and anise, with a hint of smokiness in the background. Sappy and incisive on the palate, offering deeply pitched, spice-tinged cassis and bitter cherry flavors accented by bitter herbs. Closes extremely long, with firm tannic grip and alluring sweetness, leaving a zesty mineral note behind. Showing a surprising degree of elegance for the vintage and for this bottling, which is usually the most forbidding of Guigal's big-gun Cote-Roties.