2018 E. Guigal Saint-Joseph Rouge 750 ml

No winery is more responsible for the Northern Rhône’s place in the hearts and cellars of collectors than Guigal. Robert Parker called patriarch Marcel Guigal “this planet’s greatest winemaker,” and the house boasts over twenty 100-point wines. They are to Syrah what Petrus is to Merlot and Romanée-Conti is to Pinot Noir.

The difference? It’s possible to experience the genius of Guigal’s Northern Rhône Syrah at a reasonable price—and their St.-Joseph is the perfect inflection point between Guigal magic and affordability.

The 2018 packs an impressive amount of Northern Rhône character and power, but for less than half the price of one of Guigal’s Hermitage wines—and a tenth of what their famed “La La’s” from Côte-Rôtie would set you back. 

Guigal’s version is based on two of the most legendary estates in St.-Joseph. The legend goes that the vineyards came in an all-or-nothing deal that included ones in Hermitage as well. At first, the Guigals were going to say no.  But when Marcel and Philippe Guigal made the 45-minute drive down RN7 to tell the owner their decision, he didn’t give them a chance to sit down. Instead, he drove them straight to the Saint-Joseph site. The Guigals were stunned. They had never seen a vineyard of that quality in St. Joseph. Convinced, they signed the deal on the spot.

We bought all we could of this wine, but in a top vintage like 2018 that won’t be enough. It’s been two years since we’ve had the chance to offer Guigal’s St.-Joseph, so we’re stocking up like it might be another two more.