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 Vintage1989 Label 1 of 124 
TypeRed
ProducerE. Guigal (web)
VarietySyrah
Designationn/a
Vineyardn/a
CountryFrance
RegionRhône
SubRegionNorthern Rhône
AppellationHermitage
UPC Code(s)790559201002

Drinking Windows and Values
Drinking window: Drink between 2003 and 2012 (based on 6 user opinions)
Wine Market Journal quarterly auction price: See Guigal Hermitage on the Wine Market Journal.

Community Tasting History

Community Tasting Notes (average 87.5 pts. and median of 87 pts. in 17 notes) - hiding notes with no text

 Tasted by Vascular46 on 5/13/2021 & rated 87 points: clearly past it's peak but still some black current fruit. (851 views)
 Tasted by Burgundy Al on 3/30/2021 & rated 95 points: Two Rhônes Diverged in a Wood.... ("Chateau La Grange" - La Grange IL): Double(ish) blind in Northern Rhône flight. Wow, what a shock and a treat! Meaty and earthy aromas with mature, ripe black cherry and plum. Palate is all that and more, coming across as powerful and charmingly balanced. Great right now. Oddly, I had this same wine from the same case two years ago and it was much more tired and not even close to this level of excellence. This was my #1 fav wine of the (10 wine) flight, and group's #3. (1972 views)
 Tasted by Burgundy Al on 1/27/2019 & rated 86 points: Lots of earth with some fully mature black fruit still lingering around. Good weight and a finish that isn't completely pristine. Slightly cleaner and more powerful once open an hour, then starting to fade at the 2-hour mark. Slightly past its peak. (1869 views)
 Tasted by Ron Slye on 3/31/2018 & rated 84 points: At first a bit pruney and feels over the hill, but with time (1-2 hours) this begins to develop into a much finer wine. Still a bit over the hill, but not dead. The nose has a strong blood iodine component, with some aged violets, and saddle leather. . Very enjoyable to drink as a window into history, but this is pleasant, not amazing. (1605 views)
 Tasted by lambomiura on 3/29/2017 & rated 91 points: Robe Rouge orange tuile. Cuir, écurie, fruits noirs, épices, Nez de +en+ exubérant avec l'aération. En bouche, cerises, épices en finale, assez long. Fond de carafe: nez plus puisant, bouche plus ample, réglisse et mûres. Parfait avec champignons sauvages et pintade confite. (2032 views)
 Tasted by Nanda on 3/9/2014 & rated 89 points: 10+ Year Old Frenchies (Bistro Dre, Chicago, IL): Served double blind. Nose is shy and not giving much. Palate is light in body but still delivers good, complex flavor with iron, red and black fruit and lots of black pepper. Lifted and long finish. Lacks intensity and power, but still shows complexity and character. (3258 views)
 Tasted by Vmaster007 on 12/24/2013 & rated 90 points: It was a great bottle, it aged perfectly well not like its peers of the same year. (2924 views)
 Tasted by Vmaster007 on 6/2/2013 & rated 90 points: Finally a good bottle among the ones I had left. It could even be compared a bit with the 1990, it has a subtle spice, white pepper, a smoky touch and a good balance, great wine, but drink up. (2760 views)
 Tasted by AllRed on 6/14/2009 & rated 88 points: The Blind Drunks monthly tasting (Chateau Lay): Aromas of black currants and spice, followed by a nice smoky note as it allowed to breathe in the glass. Flavors of dark fruit and nutmeg on the attack. Falls off relatively quickly, leaving a short, clipped finish. (4219 views)
 Tasted by AllRed on 12/16/2007: Served double blind to the group, this was our bottle but I did not pick it out. Garnet color with some bricking. Initial leather and red fruit aromas give way to wood and wet hay notes. Nicely integrated on the palate, with a bit of red fruit though it turns weedy and thin. Disappointing. (3780 views)
 Tasted by timewithwine on 2/18/2007: 13% alc.
A weeper, but it doesn’t seem to have hurt it at all. Great nose, but the palate doesn’t deliver as much. Not that “as much” isn’t bad. Distinct, full and complete rosemary, violets, smoked meats, red fruits and tobo. It might be pretty, but it’s a very soft wine. “Given its age,” says the Professor, “it doesn’t have the secondary bottle sweetness that one might expect. A perfectly good wine, but not a wine for hard core collectors.” A rumor circulates the room, “BEB must have brought this wine.” These characters - left coast or not - carried some of the same strong suspicions as their East coast counter parts. It was eerie. A bit of sediment is found. If you have this wine, drink it; it’s ready. 02.18.07. See R&RR 2007. (143 views)
 Tasted by timewithwine on 12/5/2004: Saturday, April 07, 2001 Deep inky purple when opened and throughout the night. Cork pulled for approximately 1½ hours prior to drinking, but not decanted. My mistake, but not fatal. Rich, viscous legs, like oil. Initial nose of tar and pencil. As the wine opened, the nose expressed itself with blackberry, raspberry, tar, gaminess, mocha and violets. The first taste of the wine reflected a tightness with hefty tannins; flavors of tar, smoke and earth as well as black fruit. Later, with dinner, the wine reflected blackberries, raspberries, tar, coffee, chocolate, meat and a long finish of violets. Surprisingly, the wine showed none of the spiciness or pepper flavors I recall from the last bottle (tried several years ago.) The tannins are still a little hard, but the wine is very drinkable. A little amount of fine sediment. I suspect the wine will improve over 5 to 10 years. With steak Diana, (from Winelover’s Cookbook) spaghetti squash and broiled tomatoes. 4/7/01. This is the first ’expensive’ wine I recall purchasing by the case at $25.00/btl. I recall that only b/c Deneen found out and gave me a great deal of grief.
Sunday, February 17, 2002 1989 E. Guigal Hermitage (Rouge): ’I smell bacon’. More closed and inaccessable than the 1990. Notes of black olive with wood tannins and simple cherry. Needs some time’ Notes by Steve South. See Rhones and Rednecks ’02 in WP. My own recollection was that the wine was a tight but need more air time; had notes of gaminess and some chocolate. It still needs time.
Thursday, December 05, 2002 Distinct staining along two sides of the cork, which itself was moist; heat damage. Yet the color was fine - with only slight bricking on the edge. A somewhat muted nose of pepper, smoke and grilled meat. The fruit was evident with flavors much the same as the nose, but with plum, cherry pits (she says cherry), sun-dried tomatoes, spice (clove?) and leather. Yet the flavors were somewhat tight and restrained. The flavors were not tired, faded or cooked tasting, but lacked sharpness and focus. Loads of sediment. With chicken parmesan smothered in tomatoes, fennel sausage, mushrooms and rosemary.
Sunday, February 16, 2003 gift to Michael Ross (142 views)
 Tasted by JeffGMorris on 2/17/2002: As Steve said "I smell bacon". That's enough of a hint for me that I will most likely not like the wine and I didn't. More closed and inaccessable than the 1990. Notes of black olive with wood tannins and simple cherry. (3400 views)
 Tasted by mdefreitas on 6/1/1998 & rated 86 points: CT Group does Rhone Varietals @ Surf Village (Milford): Currants, minerals, and herbs, but all this is undermined by a medicinal, "band-aid", plastic aroma. A bit bitter and hot on the finish. An abused bottle? (4052 views)
 Tasted by bestdamncab on 9/22/1993 & rated 86 points: Rhone Wine Tasting (Lafayette, Ca.): Bright red color in the glass, nice wine, medium body, simple, smoky wine to taste, medium/big body, nice, long finish. (298 views)

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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