Guigal Rhône Wine & Cheese Pairings

E. Guigal · Côtes du Rhône Rouge · Southern Rhône · France · 2022 · 750ml

E. Guigal is the most celebrated name in the Rhône Valley — a family estate founded in Ampuis in 1946 by Etienne Guigal and now run by his son Marcel, whose obsessive commitment to quality has made Guigal synonymous with the finest expressions of Syrah, Grenache, and Mourvèdre from Hermitage to Châteauneuf-du-Pape. The Côtes du Rhône Rouge is Guigal’s benchmark entry-level wine: a blend of 50% Syrah, 40% Grenache, and 10% Mourvèdre, partially aged in large oak foudres, and crafted to deliver genuine Rhône character at an honest price. The 2022 vintage was the hottest and driest growing season since 1950 — intense heatwaves followed by mid-August rainfall that promoted ripening and yielded concentrated, full-bodied wines of exceptional richness and depth. Jeb Dunnuck called it “smoking good.” At $18.99, this is one of the most compelling values in French red wine.

Deep ruby in the glass with an intensely aromatic nose of blackberry, black plum, pepper, garrigue, and a whisper of cocoa — generous, expressive, and unmistakably southern Rhône. On the palate: full-bodied and round, with lush dark fruit, velvety tannins, and a long, elegant finish that shows real finesse beyond the abundance of fruit. Three critics, three 90+ scores: Jeb Dunnuck 91, Wine Enthusiast 91, Wine Advocate 90. Drink now through 2028. Pair with charcuterie, braised lamb, beef stew, roast chicken, or a simple cheese board.

• Producer: E. Guigal (est. 1946, Ampuis)
• Wine: Côtes du Rhône Rouge AOC
• Vintage: 2022
• Origin: Southern Rhône Valley, France
• Blend: 50% Syrah, 40% Grenache, 10% Mourvèdre
• Aging: Partially aged in large oak foudres
• Style: Full-bodied, generous southern Rhône red
• Scores: Jeb Dunnuck 91 · Wine Enthusiast 91 · Wine Advocate 90
• Drinking Window: Now–2028
• Size: 750ml
• Tasting Notes: Blackberry, black plum, pepper, garrigue, cocoa, velvety tannins, long elegant finish
• Pair With: Charcuterie · Braised lamb · Beef stew · Roast chicken · Cheese board

The Rhône’s most celebrated name, three 90+ scores — southern France’s most reliable everyday red.

Expert Reviews

Jeb Dunnuck — 91 Points
“Smoking good — blackberries, pepper, and garrigue in a round, supple, medium to full-bodied style. Remarkable quality for the appellation.”

Wine Enthusiast — 91 Points
“Black plum and cocoa-dusted aromas bump against raspberry and black tea. Fulsome in body, with red fruit riding all the way to the finish, made more complex by velvety tannins.”

Wine Advocate — 90 Points
“Juicy, round and elegant — remarkably dense for the vintage and represents excellent value.”

Winemaker Description — Vintage 2024

One of the great secrets of the Guigal family is their mastery of white Rhône varieties. While only 8% of Rhône wines are white, a full 25% of Guigal’s production is white — making them the single largest producer of white wines in the region. This seamless blend represents unbelievable value.

Led by 60% Viognier — a grape Guigal helped revive — the wine is rich yet fresh, vibrant and food-friendly. An ideal pairing for seafood, poultry, creamy pasta, soft cheeses, and more.

• Producer: E. Guigal
• Appellation: Côtes du Rhône AOC, Southern Rhône, France
• Blend: 60% Viognier, Marsanne, Roussanne, Clairette
• Vintage: 2024
• Format: 750ml

Expert Review — Vintage 2022

Jeb Dunnuck — 90 Points | Mostly Viognier (55%) but with other permitted white varieties, the 2022 Côtes Du Rhône Blanc has a medium-bodied, vibrant, pure style to go with lovely peach and tangerine-like aromas and flavors. Drink this outstanding, classy white over the coming 2-3 years. I never cease to be amazed at the quality of the Côtes du Rhône white from this team, especially given the quantities produced.

Winemaker Description

Yellow gold, clear and brilliant. Freshness on the nose marked by the distinctive aromas of Viognier — white flowers, apricot, acacia and white peach. On the palate it is fruity with plenty of richness and body. A well-rounded wine with elegance, strength and balance.

• Producer: E. Guigal
• Appellation: Côtes du Rhône AOC, Southern Rhône, France
• Blend: 55% Viognier + other permitted white varieties
• Vintage: 2022
• Format: 375ml Half Bottle

Expert Reviews- Vintage 2013 

Josh Raynolds of Vinous writes 96 Points |  (made with 50 percent whole clusters) Bright purple. A complex, intensely perfumed bouquet of fresh black and blue fruit, candied licorice and Asian spice scents develops a sexy floral note as the wine opens up. Vibrant and appealingly sweet on the palate, offering intense, smoke-tinged black currant, boysenberry, floral pastille and spicecake flavors energized by a refreshing snap of juicy acidity. Blends richness and vivacity with a deft hand and finishes extremely long and gently tannic, leaving a sappy blue fruit note behind. Drinking 2023 - 2032.

James Suckling writes 97 Points | The most brooding nose of the trio of La La's with dark coal smoky aromas and dark stones, graphite and cocoa powder. Fruits are in the very dark plum and blackberry spectrum but flavors are held in a more savory mode with assertive, powerful clean-cut tannins that hold endless length. Truly a masterpiece. Best from 2022 and for two decades or more.

Joe Czerwinski of The Wine Advocate writes 94 Points | The 2013 Cote Rotie La Mouline shows none of the vintage’s sometimes dry tannins. It offers crisp black fruit—plums and blackberries—underscored by hints of pencil shavings, espresso and grilled meat. Suave and long, it should drink well for a couple of decades. Drinking 2020 - 2035. 

James Molesworth of the Wine Spectator writes 96 Points | Very ripe, with layers of fig, boysenberry and plum compote forming the core, inlaid liberally with licorice snap, roasted apple wood and Turkish coffee notes. Shows lots of heft, but everything pulls together on the finish, exhibiting drive and definition. Best from 2020 through 2040. 65 cases imported.

Jeb Dunnuck writes 94+ Points | One of the more restrained and fresh vintages of this cuvée out there, the 2013 Côte Rôtie La Mouline still has a classic Mouline floral, gamey, and spicy bouquet to go with medium to full-bodied richness and depth on the palate. With good concentration, notable complexity, sweet tannin, and plenty of length, it needs 3-4 years of bottle age and will keep for 15+. Drinking 2022 - 2037.

Richard Hemming MW of Jancis Robinson writes 18/20 Points | Hickory smoke, violets, tobacco, black-cherry fruit, pepper and a touch of stemmy herbal character. Super-fine tannins, and quite light body with a finish that isn't as expansive as the palate. Still young, so the length may well develop. Drinking 2019 - 2033 

Bundle includes one of each:

E. Guigal Côtes du Rhône Rouge 2022 
A rich yet balanced Rhône red with dark berries, spice, and soft tannins—a perfect everyday red.

E. Guigal Côtes du Rhône Blanc 2024 
Fresh and aromatic with stone fruit, citrus, and delicate floral notes, beautifully balanced and versatile with food.

Winemaker Description

Black fruits, leathers, licorice, aromas of roasting and oriental spices. Notes of eucalyptus. Very powerful aromatic intensity. A lot of richness and structure on the palate. Very strong expression of the terroir which expresses itself by the elegance and the power of its tannins.

Expert Reviews - Vintage 2013 

Wine Spectator 97 Points | This is intense, as dense ganache, espresso, roasted juniper and alder notes form an impressive frame around an equally ornate core of steeped fig, blackberry and black currant fruit flavors, all while maintaining terrific cut and drive despite the heft. A mouthwatering iron accent at the very end seals the deal. Best from 2020 through 2040.

Wine Advocate 97 Points | This was another excellent showing for the 2013 Hermitage Ex Voto and this elegant, medium to full-bodied release offers straight-up textbook notes of crème de cassis, vanilla bean, crushed rocks, graphite and spice. It lacks the mid-palate density of the 2009 and 2010, but is impeccably balanced, elegant, and offers considerable charm. Range:94-97

James Suckling 94 Points | A big, bold dark plum, chocolate and roasted coffee nose with dark stones and a swathe of fragrant baking spices. The palate has a succulent and powerful feel. Dark ripe cherry fruits and toasty oak are well matched. Drink now.

Vinous 94 Points | (aged in new oak for 40 months) Glass-staining ruby. Deep-pitched cassis, cherry liqueur, incense and candied violet scents, along with hints of olive paste and Moroccan spices. Sweet, broad and energetic on the palate, offering alluringly sweet black and blue fruit, floral pastille and spicecake flavors underscored by an intense mineral quality. Unfolds very slowly with air and finishes impressively long, featuring youthful tannins and outstanding energy.  Drinking 2023 - 2033. -- Josh Raynolds.

Critical Acclaim

• Wine Advocate – 97 Points | “Upfront, incredibly perfumed nose of spring flowers, cured meats, roasted herbs, olives and sweet cassis fruit. Full-bodied, beautifully textured, mouth-filling and already impossible to resist — it expands on the palate and I guarantee this beauty will put a smile on your face anytime over the coming two decades.” Drinking 2016–2036.
• Wine Spectator – 96 Points | “Brooding, with layers of warm tobacco leaf, roasted alder and juniper, and sweet tapenade, backed by a dense core of macerated plum, black currant and raspberry fruit. The long, smoldering finish shows terrific latent grip.” Best from 2018–2030.
• James Suckling – 95 Points | “Super peppery, very concentrated and immaculately fragrant. Entrancing brown-spice aromas across red plums and darker black fruits. Layered, smooth and supple, pitching concentrated flavors against precise, dense and very powerful tannin. Exceptional wine.” Drink 2020–2030.
• Decanter – 95 Points | “Porcini mushroom and a touch of graphite on the finish. The acidity is well balanced, the tannins a little dry and leathery.” Drinking 2021–2033.
• Vinous – 94 Points | “Heady, intensely perfumed aromas of red fruit preserves, incense, smoky minerals and lavender. Stains the palate with sweet, seamless raspberry liquéur, spicecake and floral pastille flavors. Strikingly long and precise finish with resonating mineral and floral notes.” Drinking 2021–2030.

Tasting Notes

Red fruits, blackberry, and floral aromas of violet define the nose of La Mouline. On the palate, the wine is silky, velvety, and voluptuous with intense aromatics, seamless texture, and a finish of extraordinary length and precision. A wine of rare beauty and complexity.

About the Wine

La Mouline is one of Guigal’s legendary “La La” wines — among the most celebrated and collectible bottles in the entire Rhône Valley. Sourced from a single steep vineyard on the Côte Blonde in Côte-Rôtie, La Mouline is predominantly Syrah with a small percentage of Viognier co-fermented, lending its signature floral perfume and silky texture. The wine spends 42 months in new oak before bottling — a hallmark of Guigal’s uncompromising approach to quality.

Food Pairing

Outstanding with game birds, roasted lamb, truffle dishes, and aged hard cheeses. Also exceptional on its own as a contemplative collector’s wine.

Product Details

• Appellation: Côte-Rôtie, Northern Rhône, France
• Varietal: Syrah with Viognier (co-fermented)
• Vintage: 2012
• Format: 750ml
• Drinking Window: Now–2036
• Producer: E. Guigal

Expert Reviews - Vintage 2011 

Wine Spectator 96 Points | Very dense, dark and brooding in feel, with a thick coating of Turkish coffee and bittersweet ganache over the copious blackberry and fig flavors. The long finish is studded with charcoal and smoldering tobacco hints. Patience is required. Best from 2018 through 2030. From France.

Wine Advocate 98 Points | Starting out the single vineyards and bottled in February (after over four years in new oak barrels), the 2011 Cote Rotie la Mouline is as slutty, sexy and seamless as they come. Full-bodied, thrillingly concentrated and unctuous, it offers classic Mouline notes of cured meats, violets, black raspberries, espresso and hints of vanilla bean. Philippe Guigal commented that the worst thing about 2011 was the it came after 2010, and while the previous two vintages will get all of the attention, this 2011 will deliver almost as much pleasure, and do it right from the start as well. It needs 3-4 years of cellaring and will drink sensationally through 2041.

Vinous 96 Points | (aged in new oak barriques for 42 months): Deep ruby. Sexy mineral- and spice-laced black raspberry, cherry compote and floral pastille aromas are complemented by notes of Asian spices, cola and smoky oak. Spicy and precise on the palate, offering vibrant, spice-accented red and dark berry and cola flavors and an undercurrent of smoky minerality. Fine-grained tannins sneak in very slowly and meld seamlessly with the energetic fruit. Clings with fantastic tenacity and focus, leaving behind vibrant spice, berry liqueur and mineral notes.

Expert Reviews - Vintage 2013 

Wine Spectator 98 Points | A thunderhead of dark ganache and espresso notes slowly rolls through, while fig paste, melted licorice, warm plum and blackberry compote flavors follow. A massive beam of graphite drives the finish to a crescendo, with the fruit echoing. 

Wine Advocate 95+ Points | La Landonne is never destemmed and is always the last of the single-vineyard wines to be picked. Philippe Guigal calls it “the most Pauillac of the Cote Roties,” and the 2013 Cote Rotie La Landonne bears that out. It’s slightly austere and firmly tannic, with attractive floral aromas and layers of dark fruit that will require time to fully emerge.

James Suckling 97 Points | The most brooding nose of the trio of La La's with dark coal smoky aromas and dark stones, graphite and cocoa powder. Fruits are in the very dark plum and blackberry spectrum but flavors are held in a more savory mode with assertive, powerful clean-cut tannins that hold endless length. Truly a masterpiece. Best from 2022 and for two decades or more.  

Winemaker Description

Deep ruby red with dark tints. Small red fruit, blackberry, morello cherry Intensely aromatic, powerful and elegant. Supple attack with a balanced supple structure, concentration and elegant tannins. Fully expressive of the terroir. With all the virility of the Cote Brune, La Turque also has all the subtlety and femininity of the Cote Blonde.

Expert Reviews - Vintage 2013 

Wine Spectator 98 Points | A stunning, modern-styled version, with scintillating raspberry puree, plum confiture and blackberry reduction flavors gliding over velvety but copious tannins. Alluring warm ganache and fruitcake accents gild the finish, which sails on and on. Best from 2020 through 2045.

Wine Advocate 98 Points | A stunning, modern-styled version, with scintillating raspberry purée, plum confiture and blackberry reduction flavors gliding over velvety but copious tannins. Alluring warm ganache and fruitcake accents gild the finish, which sails on and on. Best from 2020 through 2045.

Decanter 95 Points | Tasted after the spicy, ethereal La Mouline 2013, this is more earthbound - deeper, darker and fruitier, with more bass notes, as you might expect from a wine sourced from 25 year old vines on schist soils with limestone and clay (versus the gneiss of La Mouline). It too spent 42 months in new oak barrels. This has a pretty, cedar-flecked red berry fruit nose, tightly swaddled in oak. Full-bodied and mouth-coating, it shows great purity and salinity on the palate - it is fresh, piercing and powerful, but balanced and light on its feet, with deep veins of oak spice running through it. Drinkable and fresh.  Drinking Window 2018 - 2035 — Tasted by Matt Walls(at E.Guigal portfolio tasting, London, 12 Jun 2017)

Jeb Dunnuck 95 Points | A step up over the La Mouline, the 2013 Côte Rôtie La Turque is concentrated, full-bodied, and structured, with lots of minerality, chocolate, and pepper nuances in its darker berry fruits, cassis and bacon fat aromas and flavors. With a great mid-palate, building tannin, and the more tight, austere style of the vintage, give bottles another 4-5 years and enjoy over the following two decades.  Drinking 2022 - 2042

James Suckling 96 Points | An air of deep-set complexity. Plenty of baking spices and toastiness with blackberry, pepper, wet stones and concrete. Extremely complex and fragrant. The palate delivers a supple, plush and luxuriant texture with masses of sweet spices and succulent blackberry fruit. Dark chocolate finish that's elegant and concentrated. Drink now and for two decades at least.

Vinous 95 Points | (made with 50 percent whole clusters) Inky ruby. Bright, intensely perfumed aromas of red and blue fruits, Indian spices and potpourri are energized by a smoky mineral quality. Juicy, focused and pure, displaying deeply concentrated but lively boysenberry and cherry liqueur flavors, along with hints of candied flowers and five-spice powder. Echoes the floral and spicy notes on the strikingly long, penetrating finish, which features harmonious tannins and a hint of bitter chocolate.  Drinking 2023 - 2032 

Winemaker Description

Red black with deep dark tints. Small black fruits, liquorice and roasted notes and oriental spices. Powerful and intense aromas. Powerful attack with important tannic structure. Rich and concentrated. Fully expressive of the terroir. Great ageing potential, structured and concentrated with a rare intensity of flavour and colour.

Expert Reviews - Vintage 2012 

Wine Spectator 92 Points | Intense, with a serious iron spine that drives from start to finish, while the core of dark currant, bitter plum and black cherry fruit is held in reserve. The grippy and mineral-driven finish sports loads of tobacco, warm iron and dark earth notes, while displaying terrific cut and drive. A formidable wine. Best from 2020 through 2040. 1,000 cases made.

Winemaker Description

La Landonne displays red/black color with deep dark tints with aromas of black fruits, licorice and roasted notes and oriental spices. Powerful and intense aromas. Powerful attack with important tannic structure. Rich and concentrated. Fully expressive of the terroir. Great ageing potential, structured and concentrated with a rare intensity of flavor and color.

Côte-Rôtie La Landonne completes this famous trilogy. An immense and pure wine with intense flavours and deep colour, this is the perfect wine for ageing.

The treasures are born in the very heart of the most legendary of the illustrious plots of the Maison Guigal. These precious bottles are as coveted as they are rare and have benefited from extreme care at every stage of the process, from the vine to the cellars. They are the sole incarnation of the inspiration and inheritance of centuries of viticulture in an exceptional terroir.

Expert Reviews- Vintage 2011 

Wine Spectator 98 Points | This delivers wave after wave of sensational raspberry pâte de fruit, plum reduction and boysenberry coulis flavors, backed by mouthwatering anise and blackberry cobbler hints. A massive bolt of iron and charcoal is deeply embedded in the fruit and lurks through the long, authoritative finish, keeping all the elements riveted together. Best from 2018 through 2030. 600 cases made. — JM.

Wine Advocate 99 Points | A step up over the other two single vineyard releases, the 2011 Cote Rotie la Landonne is an incredible wine that knocks it out of the park in the vintage. Its inky purple/ruby color is followed by to-die-for notes of cassis, black olives, truffles, graphite and crushed rock. Full-bodied, massively concentrated, thick and unctuous, it has the vintage’s flamboyant fruit profile, yet backs it up with a stacked mid-palate, serious amounts of tannin and a finish that just won’t quite. It’s relatively approachable now due to its glycerin and fat, yet needs a decade of cellaring and will knock your socks off over the following two decades or more. 

Vinous 95 Points | (raised in new oak for 42 months): Glass-staining ruby. Powerful, expansive aromas of black and blue fruit liqueur, smoky Indian spices, sandalwood and olive, and an exotic floral nuance that gains strength with air. Deeply concentrated but surprisingly lively, offering palate-staining dark fruit and violet pastille flavors and a strong, building spicy quality. Velvety tannins add grip to a strikingly long, sappy and penetrating finish, which clings with noteworthy tenacity. Drinking 2020 - 2030. -- Josh Raynolds

Winemaker Description

Eye: Deep dark ruby colour with mauve tints. 

Expert Reviews - Vintage 2007

Wine Spectator 95 Points | This has gorgeous espresso and roasted mesquite aromatics, followed by dense but velvety-textured plum sauce, blackberry paste and cassis flavors. Best from 2012 through 2025.

Stephen Tanzer 96 Points | Opaque ruby. Boysenberry, blueberry and smoky Indian spices on the expansive, heady nose, with a sexy floral quality that gains strength with air. Deep, sappy and palate-staining dark fruit compote flavors show unlikely energy and become spicier and smokier with air. A strikingly expressive, potent and compellingly fragrant wine that finishes with superb clarity and floral-driven persistence.