Summary
E. Guigal is one of the most famous wine houses of the Rhône and inseparable from the Côte-Rôtie appellation. Founded in 1946 by Étienne Guigal in the village of Ampuis, the family firm bridges two worlds: from around 45 hectares of its own steep slopes come some of the most sought-after red wines in France, while as a négociant Guigal also produces large volumes of reliable Côtes du Rhône. The house won world fame with its three single-vineyard Côte-Rôties – La Mouline, La Landonne and La Turque, the legendary La La Las – which have repeatedly scored 100 points.
History
The story begins with Étienne Guigal, who came to the region in 1923 at the age of fourteen and first worked at the neighbouring house Vidal-Fleury. In 1946 he set up on his own in Ampuis and laid the foundation for today's firm. When he lost his sight in the 1960s, his son Marcel Guigal took on responsibility early – in 1961 – and became the defining figure of the house. Marcel built Guigal into a globally acclaimed address; today his son Philippe Guigal stands at the forefront as oenologist and cellar master in the third generation.
At the same time the house grew through major acquisitions: in 1984 Guigal bought the historic house Vidal-Fleury, where it all once began. In 2001 the Domaines Jean-Louis Grippat and de Vallouit were added, significantly enlarging its vineyard holdings, in 2006 the neighbouring Domaine de Bonserine, and in 2017 the Château de Nalys in Châteauneuf-du-Pape – its first site in the southern Rhône.
Location & Terroir
At the heart is the Côte-Rôtie, the „roasted slope" on the right bank of the Rhône. The extremely steep, terraced vineyards can only be worked by hand. Two soil types are distinguished: the iron-rich, dark Côte Brune, which yields powerful, long-lived wines, and the lighter, sandier Côte Blonde with more elegant, perfumed wines. This division also gives rise to the classic „Brune et Blonde" cuvée.
Beyond Côte-Rôtie, Guigal owns sites in Condrieu, the home of pure Viognier, as well as in Hermitage. Through its négociant arm the radius reaches into the southern Rhône, where Grenache and Mourvèdre shape the warmer Côtes du Rhône and Châteauneuf-du-Pape.
Style & Philosophy
Guigal's signature is uncompromising oak ageing. The three single-vineyard Côte-Rôties mature for around 42 months in 100% new French barriques – unusually long, which gives them depth, structure and enormous ageing potential. For the quality of its barrels the house even runs its own cooperage.
Equally remarkable is the range: from rare, expensive top wine to Côtes du Rhône sold by the million, Guigal maintains a high, reliable level at every tier. It is precisely this combination of uncompromising peaks and broad availability that has built the house's reputation.
Notable Vineyards & Wines
The range runs from the entry level to the icons of the northern Rhône:
- La Mouline – from the Côte Blonde, the softest and most perfumed of the three, with a share of Viognier
- La Landonne – from the Côte Brune, pure Syrah, powerful and very long-lived
- La Turque – also Côte Brune, with a small share of Viognier
- Château d'Ampuis – Côte-Rôtie from several top parcels
- Brune et Blonde – the house's classic Côte-Rôtie
- La Doriane – Condrieu (Viognier); Ex-Voto – Hermitage
- Côtes du Rhône Rouge – the widely available, reliable everyday wine
Awards
Hardly any other Côte-Rôtie producer has been awarded the top score so often: over various vintages the La La Las have repeatedly earned 100 points from Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, making Guigal a byword for world-class Syrah. At the same time the house is regularly praised for the consistently high quality of its entire range – from the most expensive single-vineyard wine to the simple Côtes du Rhône. Guigal is thus seen as one of the most influential producers who established the world reputation of Rhône wines.