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 Vintage1998 Label 2 of 126 
TypeRed
ProducerE. Guigal (web)
VarietySyrah
Designationn/a
Vineyardn/a
CountryFrance
RegionRhône
SubRegionNorthern Rhône
AppellationHermitage
UPC Code(s)3536650000031, 790559201002

Drinking Windows and Values
Drinking window: Drink between 2007 and 2019 (based on 18 user opinions)
Wine Market Journal quarterly auction price: See Guigal Hermitage on the Wine Market Journal.

Community Tasting History

Community Tasting Notes (average 91 pts. and median of 92 pts. in 86 notes) - hiding notes with no text

 Tasted by Roman Empire on 3/14/2024 & rated 90 points: Tasting Note 6 of #50in2024

This is the oldest bottle of wine that I have personally possessed and opened. I opened it with great anticipation and high expectations given the legendary reputation of the Hermitage appellation. I pulled the bottle from storage about an hour before opening, to allow an sediment to settle before opening.

I used an Ah-So style opener to remove the 25 year old cork which went surprising easily. The cork almost slid down the bottle neck but with a twist was easily removed. No signs of cork damage, or other concerns. I was greeted with a nice aroma immediately.

I went straight to the pour, and as expected there color of the wine indicated the age. Brick color, with some hints of brown although still some redness throughout. It looked like an old wine. Based on all my research, I was concerned that this might be past its drinking window. Spoiler Alert: I don't think so now.

The nose was pleasant, surprisingly still some darker fruits, although a peppery earthiness was present.

The first taste surprised me, it was more acidic than I expected. Some tartness on the tongue followed by a bit of pepper and hint of smoke/bbq. I think this was classic (old) Syrah and it was enjoyable. Over the next hour, it did change but only slightly. The earthiness became a bit more prominent and it was even more enjoyable in my opinion. It begged for food, meat specifically although the best I had on hand was meat lovers pizza -- which did the trick. No need to be fancy about this! By the end of the bottle I was craving more.

For comparison I opened a 2015 Cote Rotie for a side-by-side tasting and the Cote Rotie Syrah was significantly bolder, bigger -- which is generally the style I drink in most reds like Napa cabs. It was nice to enjoy a balanced, somewhat quiet expression of 1998 Hermitage Syrah.

The bottle was acquired by auction for less than $100 and was from a known strong vintage in 1998. They are known for drinking best with some age. I can't wait to acquire some more. (203 views)
 Tasted by chatters on 7/2/2022 flawed bottle: something a little off here for me - touch of brambles, plenty of peppery spice but a hard green and slightly sour core that I've not detected on this wine before. A gentle decant and time didn't really help. Still has a similar tannin profile to previous tastings but this isn't quite right...and, with time, this falls apart...not right. FLAW (1596 views)
 Tasted by chatters on 12/9/2021: TdF exploration and Archie Rose (Alejandro's place, Mascot): From Coravin. Leather, earth, a little rose petal, touch of peppery spice, with time a touch of blackberry. In the mouth it's juicy with plums and blackberry, black pepper. Textured grainy mid palate grip rasps the tongue, a little leather, smidge of alcohol warmth but still fleshy and enjoyable. (1937 views)
 Tasted by AllRed on 9/17/2021: Blind. Shows its age with a bit if bricking, and aromas of tea leaves, currant and something a bit meaty/gamey. Medium-bodied. The palate follows the bouquet, adding a hint of bouillon as it sits. This bottle is over-the-hill but had brief moments of life and enjoyment. (2010 views)
 Tasted by DBenke on 12/6/2020 & rated 94 points: This is pure perfection. Delicious (2344 views)
 Tasted by imafloormatt on 12/4/2020 flawed bottle: Over the hill. (2233 views)
 Tasted by DB Lawton on 11/12/2020 & rated 90 points: Coravin Taste - First Coravin I’ve done. Found this still quite alive with light color, olive tapenade, and a long finish. A little heavy on acidity at this point but didn’t give it time to settle down much. (1585 views)
 Tasted by chatters on 11/11/2020: From Coravin. Aromas of biscuit, leather, fruit tea, damsons, earthy notes, also crushed rocks - quite mineral - a little tarragon. With time the fruit darkens and the earthy notes become more baked and dusty. On the palate it's sourly juicy, a little peppery spice, the tarragon more aniseed, the muted fruit more wild plums and brambles, tannins are relatively silky textured but still quite bold and the whole travels long. with time it becomes more generous...I can see this accompanying some cow based protein in the relative short term. Yum. (1541 views)
 Tasted by mdvino63 on 3/5/2020 & rated 93 points: Can't say it better than rocknroller, whose note is a perfect reflection of the bottle I just opened tonight (was Coravin'd a few months back):
"Dark red color with bricking over the margin.... Loved the classic nose, red fruits, savory, saddle leather, dried spices, roasted meat. The palate is medium full boded, cherry, black cherry and plum, dried herbs and bacon fat, wood spice, moderate fine tannins. Got better through the night." (2360 views)
 Tasted by WineGuyX on 2/2/2020 & rated 92 points: Still a moderately saturated garnet color. Still developing after 45 minutes in decanter. Sweet black cherry, roasting meat and smoke and that licorice/spice and grilled herb switches character you get from the Northern Rhone. Continuing to develop and sweeten. Can't wait to revisit this in a few more minutes!
This took awhile to develop, but then started to fade slightly. This is a delightful wine to drink with and without food. Really bright acidity and still enough tannin to stand up to pork ribs! Drink now-2023 92 (2039 views)
 Tasted by OenoEd on 10/19/2019 & rated 83 points: If I’m a glass half full taster, I can imagine a day 20 years from now when a bottle of this lost in the cellar is opened, and reveals mysterious secondary flavors of swamp cedar, tobacco leaves, and bitter chocolate covered cherry pits. Or something. Tonight, even after an hour, this is concentrated but lean, a bit acrid, unripe, and harsh. More like barrel must than sexy syrah. It’s an odd duck; distressing to see the Guigal name on this black, stemmy, mostly unpleasant Hermitage. (2477 views)
 Tasted by wineappreciation on 4/3/2018 & rated 91 points: Black cherry, syrup, plum; long on plate, balanced, a surprising amount of fruit still present, a little simplistic but quite pleasing (3388 views)
 Tasted by WineGuyX on 1/19/2018 & rated 91 points: Still a saturated dark brickish color. Nice nose of kirsch liqueur, roasted black cherries, and loads of herbs and spices (lavender and rosemary). Smoke. Only medium bodied, but with good density and structure. This is a bit "lean and mean" at present, with adequate tannin and acidity to balance the lean, tart cherry and herbal flavors which in turn serve to accent a roasted meat character. Very mature and almost certainly on the downslide, this is still drinking quite well and was DELICIOUS with T-bone steaks off of a smokey grill. The charred wood character is perfectly integrated. 91 df 9.2 (3282 views)
 Tasted by rube237 on 12/24/2017 & rated 91 points: very pleasurable (1705 views)
 Tasted by Vino Me on 9/19/2017 & rated 83 points: Opened by Allred. Aromas of cocoa on the nose. This was fading and not showing well. 83 points. (3018 views)
 Tasted by AllRed on 8/26/2017: Cellar diminishment party - brief note. Good fruit, spice & earth. At peak. (2597 views)
 Tasted by Ebrim on 4/1/2017: No proper notes - Not the strongest bottle, last one was much better. This was quite tired, you had the classical Hermitage aromas, but the fruit was nearly gone and alcohol was a dominating factor. Drinkable, but not to pleasant so i wont rate it. (2951 views)
 Tasted by mdefreitas on 2/21/2017 & rated 90 points: Rhone Dinner @The Shish Kebab House (West Hartford, CT): This is still holding up well. The fruit is bright, ripe and boisterous. Perhaps a bit simple and monochromatic, with the fruit a bit candied, but this provided a good amount of enjoyment. (2866 views)
 Tasted by tcarter on 8/27/2016 & rated 93 points: Killer wine, still holds up. Tasted blind and one guy in the group got Hermitage and vintage right. Perfect showing. (2919 views)
 Tasted by rocknroller on 7/30/2016 & rated 93 points: Annual Wine Group Summer Event - BBQ Brisket at Siggy's (Siggy & Jenny's Place, Mpls, MN): Dark red color with bricking over the margin. PNP, drank 1+ glass over an hour. Loved the classic nose, red fruits, savory, saddle leather, dried spices, roasted meat. The palate is medium full boded, cherry, black cherry and plum, dried herbs and bacon fat, wood spice, moderate fine tannins. Got better though the night. (3232 views)
 Tasted by cct on 6/4/2016 & rated 93 points: From 375 op and pour

A beautiful savory nose with roasted meat, white pepper, olives, violets, and dark fruits. Nothing stands out here, it's just beautifully integrated, effortless syrah. Fully mature with beautiful texture, depth and structure. Savory more than fruit driven. This is in a perfect place right now. Very enjoyable. 93 (2930 views)
 Tasted by jmcmchi on 12/28/2014 & rated 75 points: Abysmally disappointing.
Nose eventually revealed something resembling a Syrah bouquet. On palate, thin, acidic without any charm and well past whatever had been its best
Personal observation is that Guigal's Cote Rotie and Hermitage "generic" labels do not last well beyond 12 years. (4003 views)
 Tasted by dsamuel on 12/4/2014 & rated 91 points: Medium crimson with clear rim. Aromas of dark fruit/ cherry/ cocoa with light smoke. Medium plus weight in mouth, sweet silky tannins which awe well integrated. Medium/ medium plus length. Drinking really well right now. As previously noted, this is a feminine Hermitage, very enjoyable (3894 views)
 Tasted by tcosgriff on 11/22/2014 & rated 80 points: Purple color with a barnyard bouquet and with a vague flavor of fruit and leather. Not a very compelling wine, with no balance or nuance.
Probably over the hill. Second bottle tasted the next day was very similar. (3494 views)
 Tasted by cct on 4/17/2014 & rated 91 points: (From 375 pop and pour)

More ripe dark fruit with a level of ripeness I did not get in previous bottles with an almost grenache-y plumpness. Medium full bodied and well balanced, with white pepper, black olives, rare gamey meat, and good savory notes. There is clarity and poise here. An outstanding, very enjoyable and well made, but to pick nits, not very distinctive wine drinking at peak. Probably would have showed a bit better with food, but this day at work necessitated this half bottle being finished prior to the food being ready. 91 pts. (4372 views)
 Only displaying the 25 most recent notes - click to see all notes for this wine...

Professional 'Channels'
By Stephen Tanzer
Vinous, January/February 2001, IWC Issue #94
(E. Guigal Hermitage) Subscribe to see review text.
By Richard Jennings
RJonWine.com (5/25/2003)
(E. Guigal Hermitage) Fresh berry nose; tasty bacon, cherry and root beer palate; medium-plus finish  92 points
NOTE: Scores and reviews are the property of Vinous and RJonWine.com. (manage subscription channels)

CellarTracker Wiki Articles (login to edit | view all articles)

E. Guigal

producer website

A FAMILY HISTORY
Land with 24 centuries of history behind it, worked and preserved by three generations of winemakers with family values at their core and a commitment to an illustrious terrain that produces prestigious wines. This, in a nutshell, is the Maison Guigal. Right from the beginning the motto, “No Pains No Gains” underpins the promise made to Etienne Guigal. A commitment to work together to follow in his footsteps, to communicate the family’s passion and create so many emotions. Today, Marcel and Philippe, along with their wives, are the guardians of this exceptional domain which combines history, devotion and a sense of togetherness. A breath of inspiration for generations to come.

CÔTE-RÔTIE
1
Planted on slopes by the Romans 24 centuries ago, this illustrious vineyard is made up of the Côte Brune, upstream of the Reynard and the Côte Blonde which is downstream. Planted almost exclusively with Syrah, the Côte Brune produces a powerful, intense wine. Thanks to a dash of Viognier which compliments the Syrah, the Côte Blonde is more subtle. There is a charming legend attached to this appellation and the Château d’Ampuis: “the sire of this place had two daughters, one with hair as dark as the night and the other blonde like a field of wheat. When they got married he endowed each with two of his best slopes. This is how we inherited the Côte Brune and the Côte Blonde”



CONDRIEU
2
With its steep terraces which plunge towards the Rhône, this vineyard is planted solely with Viognier. A rare grape varietal imported by the Greeks at the beginning of our era, combined with granite soils its naturally complex character produces a unique white wine with a yellow golden hue and intense and subtle notes of delicate apricot and white peach.



SAINT-JOSEPH
3
Enjoyed at the table of kings, this illustrious wine’s name hails back to the 16th Century and the Jesuit monks of Tournon. The reds are made from Syrah and the whites from Marsanne and Rousanne. These grape varieties grown on a South to South East facing steeply sloped vineyard with granite soils produce elegant, luscious wines.

HERMITAGE
4
A prestigious appellation since ancient times, it is named after a 13th Century hermit who sought redemption by devoting himself to prayer and the cultivation of vines. Enjoyed by the Russian Court and the great and the good of Europe, this rich and powerful wine with intense aromas is produced from Syrah for the reds and Marsanne and Roussanne for the whites.



CROZES-HERMITAGE
5
A typical wine of the northern Rhône, Crozes-Hermitage benefits from warm pebbly soils with good drainage. This is a vast appellation partially planted on slopes. The reds are produced from Syrah and the whites from Marsanne and Rousanne. The red wine is deep ruby in colour, full of savoury flavour and well-balanced. The white wines are dry and aromatic with floral notes.



CHÂTEAUNEUF-DU-PAPE
6
These soils are composed of calcareous round pebbles and the vineyards are swept by the Mistral winds and warmed by the Provencal sunshine, resulting in wines with unmistakable flavours of the South. These southern wines are produced from a complex blend of the 13 grape varieties of the appellation with Grenache as the main component. They are complex with soft and powerful tannins and are characterised by a generous and strong personality.

Syrah

Varietal article (Wikipedia) | (Wines Northwest)

Note that some producers in the Northern Rhone distinguish between simply Syrah and "Serine", the latter described as ‘an ancient clone of Syrah, the berries of which are more oval-shaped and less deeply pigmented than Syrah’ by producer Tardieu-Laurent.

France

Vins de France (Office National Interprofessionnel des Vins ) | Pages Vins, Directory of French Winegrowers | French Wine (Wikipedia)

Wine Scholar Guild vintage ratings

2018 vintage: "marked by a wet spring, a superb summer and a good harvest"
2019 vintage reports
2021: "From a general standpoint, whether for white, rosé or red wines, 2021 is a year marked by quality in the Rhône Valley Vineyards. Structured, elegant, fresh and fruity will be the main keywords for this new vintage."
2022 harvest: idealwine.info | wine-searcher.com

Rhône

Guide to the wines, wineries and appellations in the Rhone Valley The Rhône Valley/Le Vins de la Vallée du Rhône (Comité Interprofession des vins AOC Côtes et vallée du Rhône)

### Wine Scholar Guild's Rhône valley vintage charts & ratings ###

Northern Rhône

Guide to the wines and appellations of the Northern Rhone Valley -

The Rhône Valley/Le Vins de la Vallée du Rhône (Comité Interprofession des vins AOC Côtes et vallée du Rhône)

Regional History:
Phocaean Greeks established viticulture in the Rhone as far back as 600 BC, but until the 14th century the wines were not seen outside the region. The establishment of the Avignonese Papacy (1305-1377) brought fame to the region's wine-so much so that their Burgundian neighbors to the north banned wines from the Rhone in 1446, a measure that effectively cut off trade with England and other Northern European markets for over 200 years. Stretching southward from Lyon to just south of Avignon, the Rhone produces a wide variety of wines, with the appellations north of Valence producing the least (in volume), and the towns south of Montelimar producing prodigious amounts. As in other regions, the most interesting wines come from small farms. Saint-Joseph, in the northern Rhone, extends for some distance between Condrieu in the north to Saint-Peray in the south. The reds are made from Syrah and the rare whites from Marsanne and Roussanne, and Viognier.

### 2017 vintage ###
"The first red wines already tasted in the Northern Rhône promise a beautiful vintage, with a quality close to the 2015 or even the 2009 vintage" - NEWRHÔNE MILLESIMES

Hermitage

Guide to Hermitage wine Guide to Cote Rotie - Read about the Northern Rhone Valley

• The appellation stretches over 3 com­munes in the Drôme "département" : Tain-l'Hermitage, Crozes-Hermitage and Larnage.

• The soils are a combination of grani­te with alluvial quaternary delta depo­sits, and, on the eastern side, Pliocene clay. This diversity explains the nume­rous different names given to vineyard plots within the appellation : Bessards, Greffieux, Méal, Roucoule, Beaumes, etc.

• The meso-climate provides shelter from the north winds, where the majo­rity of the slopes is well exposed, facing south.

•The vineyards area adds up to 134 hectares/331 acres, with an annual production of 3,635 hectoliters. Authorized maxi­mum yield is 40 hectoliters/hectare (2.3 US tons/acres).

• Grape varieties : Syrah (an addition of up to 15% of Marsanne or Roussanne is allowed).

all the single vineyards on weinlagen-info.de

 
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