2017 E. Guigal Cotes du Rhone 750 ml

Choosing one word to describe France’s Rhône region, which stretches over 130 miles from Vienne in the north to Nîmes in the south, would be impossible.  

But choosing one outstanding winery to represent it—that would be easy. 

We’d take Guigal.

Under the E. Guigal label, father-and-son team Marcel and Philippe Guigal craft what Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate called, simply, “some of the greatest wines in the world.” They’re one of the few producers whose quality stretches from their collector’s items—the Syrah-based reds that routinely earn perfect scores and fetch $300+ per bottle—to their most accessible bottles. However, none overdelivers as consistently as their Côtes du Rhône. 

The Rhône consists into two sub-regions: Red wines from the Northern Rhône are built on Syrah, while Southern Rhône blends—including those bearing the Côtes du Rhône label—are typically dominated by the widely planted Grenache grape. The Guigals are both growers and négociants, which means they bottle wines grown on their own estate and also source grapes from trusted farmers around the region. 

Since Guigal’s forté is Syrah, their Côtes du Rhône boasts 50% of the grape, bolstered by 40% Grenache and 10% inky, brooding Mourvèdre. It’s grown on vines that average 35 years of age and are planted in varied soils, from the granitic earth of the Northern Rhône to the Southern Rhône’s alluvial, pebbly soils. 

The result is a wine bearing beautiful and ripe fruit along with the herbal and roast-game notes that typify Rhône reds. It’s a gorgeous snapshot of the region and a great introduction to one of our favorite producers on the globe.