1985 E. Guigal Côte-Rôtie La Turque

Brownest of all the Guigals. Really very old. Treacle and almost decayed. Animal notes verging on vomit. Dry finish. Not an attractive bottle! (JR)

The debut vintage for this wine was especially impressive in view of the fact that the vineyard was so young. The 1985 La Turque's color remains a dark purple, with no signs of amber or lightening. The nose explodes from the glass, revealing scents of jammy black fruits, licorice, lead pencil, and smoke. Sweet, thick, highly concentrated flavors contain enough acidity and soft wood tannin to give the wine a well-focused feel. This prodigiously endowed, rich wine should continue to evolve and offer accessible drinking for another 15+ years. Anticipated maturity: now-2012. Last tasted 8/96. Robert Parker, Rhone Book # B3.