This is absolutely amazing. Garnet with a blood red rim. At stunning nose of blackberry fruit, spice and red meat. A touch of herbs. This is masculine and complex (is that possible😀?). Lush yet mineral with verve. Expansive, broad with 20 more years of evolution. Great. (99)
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Still youthful, the wine explodes with its nose of cherries black raspberries, smoke, flowers, spearmint, and thyme. Powerful, balanced, harmonious, and with a seamless finish that does not want to quit, this is off the hook! Decanted for about 60 minutes, drink from 2022-2040.
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2021 Athens Wine Event , An event to make up for the last 2 years (Spondi , Athens): Served blind flanked by what would be revealed to be the Chave 1999 ( ( Papies 97) and was along the same wavelength albeit darker and bigger. We guessed late 90s La Mouline as we felt it had a bit of a herby feel we so associate with the La La. This with time like another 5-10 years will be close to perfect and will be like the great La Las of the 80s now is our call. It’s for sure impressive and close to perfection now but the heavier winemaking style of Guigal still needs time to hit its full stride. Impressive still and an easy 95 but hold on a bit more if you can and what we have here will be very close to a perfect score.
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Unfortunately, this was served after far too many other wines and with a chocolate dessert that rendered it sour tasting. Clearly a monster of a Syrah that seemed to have some positive characteristics. I know many people love and covet these wines but it doesn't appear that I align well with them.
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This is really close to perfection - maybe it even should get perfect score. Stunning aromas, nose out of this world. Depth to spare bjt still light on its feet. Will stay here I think for +10 years at least.
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M&PD Zoom Tasting: This wine was the star of the three Turques. Just a beautiful wine with all of the notes in perfect balance. Fruit, floral and feral all come together to just sing. Hard to find this mix anyplace else. It's a heavy wine, but it is so nicely balanced and structured.
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M&PD Zoom Tasting: Northern Rhône (Zoom): Wow, my favorite of the three La Turque vintages. Insanely young. Soaring. Cinnamon. Boom, gunpowder nose. Really generous, balanced palate. Incredible energy, balancing really vibrant acidity with powerful tannins and generous fruit. This is already stunning, but in 10 more years it will be an utter knockout.
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Drank in our smaller COVID Thanksgiving (2 ppl) with a garlic butter bird. Decanted for 2.5 hours, significant amount of very fine sediment. The nose was extraordinary, exploding out of the glass with aromas of blackberry and spice. The palate very balanced with integrated tannins, great body, intensity and structure. While mature, it clearly can go for 10 more years.
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How should one celebrate an IPO? This is what we drank during a road show celebration dinner at restaurant Daniel in 2011. This time around in 2020, the same great wine. 1999 LaLas for the special occasions in life.
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1999 Northern Rhone Tasting along with 67 Pall Mall Philippe Guigal Masterclass (Line up: E.Guigal La Landonne '99, E.Guigal La Mouline '99. E.Guigal La Turque '99, Chateau d'Ampuis '99, Rene Rostaing Cote Blonde '99, Rene Rostaing La Landonne '99): Amazing density - plush black fruits, roasted figs, liquorice. Reminded me of Lafleur. Full bodied and intense but not overwhelming. Long, menthol finish which was really good. Enjoyed this thoroughly tonight. However, I prefer the 2003 - maybe its time to drink them both side by side. Bravo!
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Fascinating to see this next to the La Landonne and I do wonder how much it clouds one's impression of the La Turque. This came across as quite elegant and finessed - but was it just by comparison? Would the impression have been so had it been served on its own? Regardless, a lovely wine, with a plump black cherry nose, improved by cracked black pepper, wood smoke, and a bit of incense or potpourri. Big, plush, and round in the mouth. Excellent.
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BYO at RPM Steak - Chicago a month ago. An overtly opulent riche bottle for an overtly opulent riche restaurant. Gift Cards and gifted bottle, don't shake me down for money. A tremendous wine, the best kind of Bob Parker wine. Sultry, resonant, good lift to its thunder. Extremely dark, this truly is still rather primary in a lot of its features, but there are no hard edges here either. When to drink it? It's tough telling, it did not expose any fragility of any type, but it does have tenderness. Would have liked to have spent a day two or beyond with this, but not possible in this environment. Great wine, my second 90's La La - both extremely satisfying and among the highest rating I've given any wine. Sometimes with as much as others love such a unfathomably broad spectrum of taste profiles - I often say that "I guess I don't like wine as much as they do". Here, I believe that if you can't see the greatness of bottles like this, you don't like wine nearly enough. Great.
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dark dark in the glass, a very young looking wine. a nose of blueberry and bacon, Sunday breakfast!!! it fills the mouth and coats the tongue. still very primary and sexy. young wine, still knitting together
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Tasted alongside 2000 and 2001, not much difference at all among the three. Lighter color, translucent. Sweet cherry and strawberry aromas. Very soft, round, cherish flavors, very drinkable, only light tannin in all of them. At a blind tasting of 20 people, everyone guessed with California cab or pinot...not a single mention of Rhone or even French. There were also La Landonnes of the same three vintages, which were better and more concentrated but still not eye-popping. I was amazed at how light and relatively simple these were, given the reputation and price. A 2010 Cayuse Cailloux, supposedly made to emulate the "La-La" style, was also tasted and was far better. Ric
MoT Masterclass - Pinacle of the Roasted Slopes (Singapore): This bottle was good but not as great as my last one. What surprised me was how youthful, almost closed, after 20 years? Again, mead, smoke, licorice, violets, etc but it lacked the humph for three digits today.
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opened 8 hours and 40 minutes prior, and decanted 2 hours and 40 minutes prior to serving. still concentrated, with sharp alcohol, still smoky, oaky, ripe and sweet on the palate.
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Mind blowing in every sense of the word! Decanted about 2 hours, the nose could be discerned across the room. On the palate the took over and painted every nook, cranny and tasting receptor with an incredible array of red and black fruits, spice and pepper. The finish broke the 60 second mark! If you have the coin, or rich friends, you want to taste this wine.
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Still drinks pretty young. Fresh and balanced. Good balance between fruit and acid. Slight more reserved on the nose - takes some good swirling to get much. Tons of elegance and grace here. A slightly more modest and austere style. Built for the long term.
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Still very primary. Decanted 2 hours ahead and while drinkable I believe it will take another 5 years to really show it's stuff. Tight with notes of licorice and dark berries. Wonderful mouthfeel for a young wine. Next time I will try a 4 hour decant to see if it reveals more.
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Two La Las: A more evolved colour than the similarly aged Bordeaux beside it but still pretty dark. An expressive, complex bouquet of dark fruit, sandalwood, meat broth, tobacco, black spices and tar. Quite a primary nose for a 17 year old wine. No real oak artefact on bouquet or palate. In the mouth, multilayered and nuanced, constantly evolving with time in the glass. The impression of youth, the wine is not much more than a baby. Fairly closed, tight and grippy but overall very well proportioned, balanced and elegant. Savoury flavours of cooked meats, creosote, earth, blackberries and espresso. Wayne said that the last glass showed even better the next day, thicker and spicier. Better than the recent 2006 La Mouline. Excellent now, it'll benefit from another 10+ years in the cellar.
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Extremely young still, dark fruit nose, tar, licorice, beef blood, meat, a little spritz even on the tail end of the palate. It's a bit primary so I wonder how this will evolve with time. It's a treat to have this wine as it is with any La La, always amazes me how long these wines live and take to come into balance.
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Marks duckhouse – La Las, 02 HB, 01 Pavie, CSH, Leflaive, QdC and etc. (Marks duckhouse, Falls Church, Va): Incredibly youthful nose displaying perfectly ripe intense black fruits, crushed blackberries, blackberry jam, liquid smoke, incense and a hint of crushed pepper. Exceptional concentration, beautifully layered fruit, sensual and silky, perfect amount of acidity and mineral and incredibly long smoky black fruit driven finish. Drinking exceptional well in very primary way but can improve for another ten years or more.
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Incredible sense of purity in the fruit. The wine is completely seamless from start to finish. The texture blends pure silk and velvet, with exotic sensations. The finish keeps you on target for over 60 seconds. There is not much more you can ask of any wine.
Sweet, fresh, black cherries, caramel, licorice, smoke, barbecue, candied roasted pork, pepper and tobacco create the complex array of aromatics. Full bodied, fleshy, flashy, ripe and exotic, the wine is concentrated, long, fresh, deep and exotic. Still young, this is good now, and it's only going to get better and better!
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Still a huge high octane nose of oak, glycerin, with some black fruit. Tons of fruit horsepower on the palate with more oak, black currant, bourbon, and vanilla. Opens up somewhat after some time in the glass but still huge and green. The wine is tremendous right now, but needs to be laid down and revisited after another ten years. Didn't really develop those smoky bacon notes that everyone always talks about in La Turque.
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TN: Rhone dinner (The Grill Room at Capella Hotel Georgetown): A bit of controversy as it is the second wine that I think to be corked where a couple tasters enjoy immensely and have strong conviction it is not corked. Two wait staff, one a former sommelier, also think it is not corked. It is a very polished La Turque with beautiful balance. May be someone else can chime in.
Having had both the 04 and 02 lately, this wine hit nearly all the buttons to me. Previous CT notes seem pretty accurate to me. Loved it. Wine was poured during a long dinner. Think it would have scored even higher if tasting had been a bit more in focus, as it has so much to offer. 96-97?
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During a wine diner. Dark blackish crimson. Expressive nose of black olives, game, dark fruit, fennel, some chocolate and licorice, enormous complexity. On the palate this is very well balanced combining the more structured Cote Brune and the racy Cote Blonde leading to a great mid mouth feel and finish. No matter how many times you come back to the glass this wine surprises you with another aroma or sensation. A fantastic Cote Rotie, (the whopping CT tasting note average of 97.7 after 26 reviews says everything). Ready now.
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I was poured this wine totally blind after a flight of Barbaresco so I had no idea what was being put in my glass... certainly didn't expect it to be the 11th highest rated wine all time by the cellartracker community. My note, written entirely before the reveal: Quite intense aroma, showing heavy candied spice notes. I also get a slight bit of bacterial note (brett?) but not in a bad or overpowering way. The wine smells mature but not old. The palate is soft and beguiling. Wonderful texture. Fairly light on the palate, but incredibly smooth with notes of spice and earth. Quite lovely and elegant. Spice and heft on the finish, with nice lovely acidity. Nice tartness and beautiful lingering fruit and acidity. I'd say drinking in a beautiful spot. I was shocked when the bottle was pulled out for several reasons... While I did expect it to be a Côte-Rôtie, I expected it to be about 10 years older. Also I actually look at the CellarTracker top 100 a few times a year and I knew that this wine was pretty damn near the top. For me, this was drinking around 94 points. I had one sip remaining after the reveal to really focus fuller on it and came up with the same assessment. A lovely wine, but I guess I'd have expected more. This bottle was opened about 16 hours prior to my pour (the previous night), so I'll refrain from a formal score.
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double-decanted, slow-ox one hour, served blind, followed over 3 hours before the reveal. (served w/'00 La Turque, '99 & '00 La Mouline)
crimson-black w/no paling at edge; most reluctant at first, becoming powerfully black-fruited, cocoa powder, roasted spices & peppercorn, mineral, wildflowers, wild bloody gamey notes, super complex after two hours; med-full & powerful; so concentrated, essence of ripe blackberry, currant liqueur, smoked meats, cracked pepper, superb balance, long & intense. showed the most evocative aromatic & palate evolution over the course of the evening (taken in context!), pretty good potential for this one.
Stunning in every way, even if it did not measure up to my last bottle. All that aside, the intense floral, fennel, smoky cherry, earth and black raspberry nose was a turn on. Pure, lush, sexy, concentrated and long, this is great now and will be even better with age!
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Guigal Rotie La Turque 99: Klar. Ren (touch bacon, men mistenker det er fat og tett frukt sammen). Intens nese. Kompleks. Tett, fat, bær, kaffe, cacao, bacon, touch pepper, massiv. Ungt. Jern. Rypeblod. Balansert, men stort, superfine tanniner, fat, ok friskhet, massive saker. Lang finish... kjempe vin, lagres 20 år til. Lett. Sykt massive vin
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2003 ExVoto Blanc : E. Guigal My 3rd time and this is just reach maturity. Dense and full-bodied, very attractive and wonderful aftertaste. 97/100
1999 Le Meal : M. Chapoutier Stunning nose, massive, very delicious, very good for the starter. 93-94/100
1999 La Turque : E. Guigal This is splendid wine, very well-made, easy to reach but not a simply wine. Very delicious with a linger, long long-finished. 100/100
1999 La Landonne : E. Guigal Beautiful scent of barnyard and classic Cote Rotie. Man-type, strong structure, seamless texture, delicious and very long finished. 100/100
1999 La Mouline : E. Guigal More subtle and elegant, great in a different way between 3 La-La, sexy and silky. It's very nice to drink them together those 100 pts wines to see how they blended some white grape to change the character of the wine. 100/100
1978 Hermitage La Chapelle : Paul Jaboulet Aine After drinking all those great wines but 1978 HLC shows the amazing thing and beyond. The nose is more clean, more deep and get over La-La easily. Unbelievable !!! This is the 2nd best wine in my world. This is my 3rd time drinking 1978 and still Rock 'n' Roll to me. Perfect ABC, acidity is so fresh, balance is so great and complexity is perfect. Aftertaste takes me back to the beautiful memories of my life...the morning calm, the wind blows, the warm love, the nature kisses. This is absolutely great great wine indeed. I would like to give it 105/100 if possible.
1999 Rayas
This is very beautiful sweetness but too sad to drink after HLC 1978. Anyway, Rayas is always my favorite. The Burgundy like, super well-made with a wonderful feeling of drinking. The great wine to lean on. 95-96/100
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If you have always wondered why people pay so much for a bottle of the famous Guigal La La's, assuming you just won the lottery, snagged a bonus, hit it big in Vegas or are one of the 1%'ers, this is the wine to buy. It's perfect in every way from start to finish. Soaring aromatics, exotic textures and a finish that is still going at 60 seconds. Yes, it's young now, and it's going to get better and better. But it's impossible to deny the awesome quality of this wine.
After tasting this wine, I was asked if this deserved 101 Pts... Why not? It is that good.
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To paraphrase Shakespeare, at some point, "comparisons are odious." With wines at this level, they are truly impossible to compare. There is so much depth of flavor, concentration and complexity, it's hard to know where to start. The wine coats your mouth and palate with incredibly ripe, exotic, sensuous, mineral driven fruits that remain and expand for more than 60 seconds. Incredibly expensive, but if you have the cash, you need a bottle of this elixir!
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99 points for this one, and not because it deserves less than a hundred, but because I need to keep a point in reserve just in case better does exist. Dark in the glass, powerful complex nose, with no one characteristic dominating another...so very elegant. You keep looking, and you just keep finding: violet, cedar box, pepper, liquer de cassis, blackberry, smoke, torrified notes. The palate is pure finesse; again no one flavour dominating another. Amazingly fresh, not stewed or cooked or tired on any level; the acidity perfectly balanced with the fruit, and the tannins... silky. Again, the intensity and elegance of the floral, fruit, smoke and spice etc. was pure pleasure. It broke my heart to see the last drop go. I would like to mention that I opened another bottle of this before christmas 09, and it was corked. I sent the bottle to Ampuis, and a week letter a replacement was sent with an apologetic hand written note. I shall always be a loyal customer.
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The 1999 La Turque was the outstanding wine from the Young Turks flight, a massive, brooding but unyielding presence. If I had any I would wait 20 years. The 1998 La Turque was very close in terms of quality, and more approachable. The 1995 La Turque was the one I would choose to drink now, if I was lucky enough to have the choice. Very young, though it didn’t feel so much like infanticide, with lovely tannins. The 2005 Hommage was fascinating; tight as a drum and determined not to play, but the quality and long term potential are undoubted. The older wines gave great pleasure. Both Steve and I had been nervous about how they would show, particularly in such august company, but we need not have worried. The 1979 La Mouline was soft and delicious; whether it’s past it’s peak I don’t know, but it’s drinking perfectly. The 1981 La Landonne was as I remembered, earthy, meaty and charming, though probably past its peak. The 1987 La Turque, like the other old weaker vintage wines, was pure pleasure. It seems you can’t get a poor LaLa. (Note to self: must look at the 2002s.) Finally, three wines with a huge reputation; the 1988 La Mouline and La Landonne, and the 1989 La Mouline. Collecting my thoughts a day later (and recognising that a certain quantity of alcohol had been consumed by this time) I can’t say more than they were all singing and all deeply impressive.
The overall impression was of quality and consistency. LaLas never seem to disappoint. My first experience of Chez Bruce, and it was certainly a good choice. The food was excellent and they provided an extraordinary number of stems. What on earth the neighbouring tables made of it I can’t think.
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This is a true OMFG wine! When a wine has it all, flavor, palate presence, incredible persistence of finish and continues getting better with each sniff and sip, you know you are in the presence of greatness. Blacker in color and on the palate spectrum than the majestic Mouline, this has even more concentration and additional layers of complexity. Take everything found in the Mouline, add pepper, plums and blackberries and you get an idea of what to expect in the perfume. What makes this all work is, with so much going on, everything is in perfect harmony. While both 99’s are in my opinion perfect examples of Cote Rotie, on this night, I preferred La Turque for the first time.
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My first La Turque. Stunning aromatics. Smoke, bacon and dark fruit. Have definitely not experienced anything like this. A seamless balance of acidity and fruit. Tannin is also well integrated. An extraordinary wine.
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Wine Engagement Dinner (NoMi): Perhaps not as profound as the Mouline, I thought the Turque was drinking the best tonight. Full deep red color. Huge nose of sour red/black fruit with chocolate notes. mmmn, big bright black cherry fruit with spice and sweet notes. Great balance and light on its feet for everything it carries. 96-97 pts.
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Uncorked DK does Northern Rhône - Guigal, Chave, Chapoutier and more (Premisse, Copenhagen): Dark red with slightly light and brown rim. Very sweet and intense - almost aetherial - nose with roasted coffee, tobacco, black tea and dried flowers. In the mouth there is enormous intensity, but also a lightness married to both bredth and depth. Notes of licorice, tar, herbs and pitch black berries. It appears seamless and with a stupendously long aftertaste. I gave the Mouline 100 almost instantaneously, but this kept growing on me as well and I had to surrender after 10 minutes of profound praising of the wine on my part. (U:98,8)
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Got the last bottle of this at Canlis. Huge wine, still quite young. Very dark (inky black) and earthy. Huge nose, lots of dark cherry and mocha on the palate, and big bacon smoke on the nose after it had been open for a while. This was my first La Turque, and I found it to have a much more rustic style than the other two single vineyards (if it makes sense to apply the word "rustic" to such a finely crafted wine). Tart and tannic right out of the bottle, but after about a half hour in the decanter, it opened up and showed itself to be a massive, beautifully balanced powerhouse that still managed to compliment the food we were eating without overwhelming it. It continued to open up and reveal new flavors over the next two hours. I was sorry to see it go. Next time I would decant it a little earlier and sample lightly for at least the first hour to give it more time.
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G7 (Jock): Blackberry, blueberry, cherry, tar and leather. Rich, concentrated and a bit monolithic which should change some bottle age. Very well balanced with nice acidity. Elegant finish. The most closed of the three 1999 La Las. 13% alcohol.
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I liked it less than the others, especially in the beginning, but it evolved very favourably with time. I wouldn't say the wine is obvious, it looked more understated to me, with a very delicate nose and an incredibly soft, velvety mouthfeel. Still needs years to reach maturity.
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With the SB crew. Incredible density and dark color. Rich and thick with intense fruit. Opened for many hours and just keeps improving. A monumental wine. Dark fruits, bacon fat, smoke, cigar box, purple flowers and black olive flavors swirl around the glass. Shows great power and complexity, what more do you want? Coats the mouth, superb finish. No doubt this will be fantastic down the road as it improves and ages.
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My first lalala... Dark and brooding in color. The nose, even though a bit closed at this stage, is overwhelming yet delicate with loads of sweetness, flowers, minerals and mocca, mocca, mocca. It tastes like essence of Syrah - blueberry and blackberry licquor, but where top-Syrah is often heavy as a WW2 tank this wine dances on your tongue as a ballerina... It's immensely intense and complex, yet light, almost ethereal. Its broad and deep in a very demonstrative way. Aftertaste is close to 1 minute. I certainly hope and pray this won't be my last! 99+
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This is just as compelling as its stable mates. Smokey coffee notes blended with a liqueur of blue and black fruits. Very sensuous mouth feel with a complex finish that never quits. It must last at least :60! Otherworldly is an apt descriptor
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Dark, violet red colour. Smells like olives and cinnamon. Large bodied with a velvety soft texture and surprising delicacy for a wine with enough power to take out a battle ship. Juicy, fresh, brooding, and packing a myriad of interesting flavour aspects. I do love when a wine with great power manages to incorporate complexity. The finish lasted about 40 seconds and was delicious and balanced.
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Purple in the glass. Scents of leather and ink. Sweet and vanilla-like in taste. Juicy and chewy, concentrated and multi complex. Packed with nuances and a roasted nature. Big in structure and the elements seemed to be kept nicely in check. Although the wine was obviously quite heavily oaked, there were no signs of an overtly manipulated wine. Long and intense aftertaste.
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12/1/2023 - Lord of the Bottles Likes this wine: 94 Points
The most closed of the ‘99 LaLaLas but also the most powerful almost monolithic. Check back in a decade. 93-94
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7/8/2023 - dbkitc wrote: 99 Points
This is absolutely amazing. Garnet with a blood red rim. At stunning nose of blackberry fruit, spice and red meat. A touch of herbs. This is masculine and complex (is that possible😀?). Lush yet mineral with verve. Expansive, broad with 20 more years of evolution. Great. (99)
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9/24/2022 - Jeff Leve wrote: 99 Points
Still youthful, the wine explodes with its nose of cherries black raspberries, smoke, flowers, spearmint, and thyme. Powerful, balanced, harmonious, and with a seamless finish that does not want to quit, this is off the hook! Decanted for about 60 minutes, drink from 2022-2040.
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4/7/2022 - BradE wrote:
The 99 La Turque is freakish, as it's a 100 point wine that's still a baby at age 23. It's in the front end of a very long drinking window.
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10/20/2021 - bookert wrote: 92 Points
Powerful but balanced
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10/2/2021 - The Guzz wrote: 96 Points
Beautiful balance and totally in the zone. A rare bottle I could still taste the next day. Stunning
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9/10/2021 - Papies wrote: 95 Points
2021 Athens Wine Event , An event to make up for the last 2 years (Spondi , Athens): Served blind flanked by what would be revealed to be the Chave 1999 ( ( Papies 97) and was along the same wavelength albeit darker and bigger. We guessed late 90s La Mouline as we felt it had a bit of a herby feel we so associate with the La La.
This with time like another 5-10 years will be close to perfect and will be like the great La Las of the 80s now is our call. It’s for sure impressive and close to perfection now but the heavier winemaking style of Guigal still needs time to hit its full stride. Impressive still and an easy 95 but hold on a bit more if you can and what we have here will be very close to a perfect score.
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8/8/2021 - VDLT Wine wrote:
Unfortunately, this was served after far too many other wines and with a chocolate dessert that rendered it sour tasting. Clearly a monster of a Syrah that seemed to have some positive characteristics. I know many people love and covet these wines but it doesn't appear that I align well with them.
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7/23/2021 - CHarder Likes this wine: 99 Points
This is really close to perfection - maybe it even should get perfect score. Stunning aromas, nose out of this world. Depth to spare bjt still light on its feet. Will stay here I think for +10 years at least.
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1/13/2021 - Brolawa wrote: 98 Points
M&PD Zoom Tasting: This wine was the star of the three Turques. Just a beautiful wine with all of the notes in perfect balance. Fruit, floral and feral all come together to just sing. Hard to find this mix anyplace else. It's a heavy wine, but it is so nicely balanced and structured.
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1/13/2021 - Eric wrote:
M&PD Zoom Tasting: Northern Rhône (Zoom): Wow, my favorite of the three La Turque vintages. Insanely young. Soaring. Cinnamon. Boom, gunpowder nose. Really generous, balanced palate. Incredible energy, balancing really vibrant acidity with powerful tannins and generous fruit. This is already stunning, but in 10 more years it will be an utter knockout.
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11/26/2020 - Beric Likes this wine: 100 Points
Drank in our smaller COVID Thanksgiving (2 ppl) with a garlic butter bird. Decanted for 2.5 hours, significant amount of very fine sediment. The nose was extraordinary, exploding out of the glass with aromas of blackberry and spice. The palate very balanced with integrated tannins, great body, intensity and structure. While mature, it clearly can go for 10 more years.
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10/14/2020 - Bobby Burgundy wrote: 96 Points
Today 96 in 5 or 10 years 100 all the way super Reminds me of the 91’
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8/4/2020 - Montesquieu Likes this wine: 98 Points
How should one celebrate an IPO? This is what we drank during a road show celebration dinner at restaurant Daniel in 2011. This time around in 2020, the same great wine. 1999 LaLas for the special occasions in life.
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6/11/2020 - dnnk88 Likes this wine: 97 Points
1999 Northern Rhone Tasting along with 67 Pall Mall Philippe Guigal Masterclass (Line up: E.Guigal La Landonne '99, E.Guigal La Mouline '99. E.Guigal La Turque '99, Chateau d'Ampuis '99, Rene Rostaing Cote Blonde '99, Rene Rostaing La Landonne '99): Amazing density - plush black fruits, roasted figs, liquorice. Reminded me of Lafleur. Full bodied and intense but not overwhelming. Long, menthol finish which was really good. Enjoyed this thoroughly tonight. However, I prefer the 2003 - maybe its time to drink them both side by side. Bravo!
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6/8/2020 - englishman's claret wrote: 95 Points
Fascinating to see this next to the La Landonne and I do wonder how much it clouds one's impression of the La Turque. This came across as quite elegant and finessed - but was it just by comparison? Would the impression have been so had it been served on its own? Regardless, a lovely wine, with a plump black cherry nose, improved by cracked black pepper, wood smoke, and a bit of incense or potpourri. Big, plush, and round in the mouth. Excellent.
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1/7/2020 - BradE wrote:
Finally coming around, the 99 is outstanding (as expected).
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11/15/2019 - VDLT Wine wrote:
Decanted 2 hours. Bright and youthful but strikes as style and polish over substance. It left me cold.
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9/4/2019 - lyle@vinchicago.com Likes this wine: 96 Points
BYO at RPM Steak - Chicago a month ago. An overtly opulent riche bottle for an overtly opulent riche restaurant. Gift Cards and gifted bottle, don't shake me down for money. A tremendous wine, the best kind of Bob Parker wine. Sultry, resonant, good lift to its thunder. Extremely dark, this truly is still rather primary in a lot of its features, but there are no hard edges here either. When to drink it? It's tough telling, it did not expose any fragility of any type, but it does have tenderness. Would have liked to have spent a day two or beyond with this, but not possible in this environment. Great wine, my second 90's La La - both extremely satisfying and among the highest rating I've given any wine. Sometimes with as much as others love such a unfathomably broad spectrum of taste profiles - I often say that "I guess I don't like wine as much as they do". Here, I believe that if you can't see the greatness of bottles like this, you don't like wine nearly enough. Great.
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8/27/2019 - reichken wrote: 95 Points
dark dark in the glass, a very young looking wine. a nose of blueberry and bacon, Sunday breakfast!!! it fills the mouth and coats the tongue. still very primary and sexy. young wine, still knitting together
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3/2/2019 - Ex-Ray Likes this wine: 90 Points
Tasted alongside 2000 and 2001, not much difference at all among the three. Lighter color, translucent. Sweet cherry and strawberry aromas. Very soft, round, cherish flavors, very drinkable, only light tannin in all of them. At a blind tasting of 20 people, everyone guessed with California cab or pinot...not a single mention of Rhone or even French. There were also La Landonnes of the same three vintages, which were better and more concentrated but still not eye-popping. I was amazed at how light and relatively simple these were, given the reputation and price. A 2010 Cayuse Cailloux, supposedly made to emulate the "La-La" style, was also tasted and was far better.
Ric
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2/5/2019 - convex Likes this wine: 99 Points
Gorgeous.
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8/26/2018 - Collector1855 wrote: 97 Points
MoT Masterclass - Pinacle of the Roasted Slopes (Singapore): This bottle was good but not as great as my last one. What surprised me was how youthful, almost closed, after 20 years? Again, mead, smoke, licorice, violets, etc but it lacked the humph for three digits today.
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8/5/2018 - Peech Likes this wine: 96 Points
opened 8 hours and 40 minutes prior, and decanted 2 hours and 40 minutes prior to serving. still concentrated, with sharp alcohol, still smoky, oaky, ripe and sweet on the palate.
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6/12/2018 - BradE wrote:
Very good, but literally still a baby, which is amazing at age 19.
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4/13/2018 - europat55 wrote: 95 Points
E. Guigal La La's (Landone, Turque, Mouline) (Andre and Sabine's House, Mountain View, CA): Nose: A/A+ Palate: A-/A
My #3, Group's #6 (71 pts). Tasted Blind.
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12/10/2017 - fcxj wrote: 92 Points
Aromatically shut, pleasingly balanced palate.
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7/2/2017 - Jeff Leve wrote: 100 Points
Mind blowing in every sense of the word! Decanted about 2 hours, the nose could be discerned across the room. On the palate the took over and painted every nook, cranny and tasting receptor with an incredible array of red and black fruits, spice and pepper. The finish broke the 60 second mark! If you have the coin, or rich friends, you want to taste this wine.
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5/20/2017 - Kemo Sabe Likes this wine: 95 Points
Still drinks pretty young. Fresh and balanced. Good balance between fruit and acid. Slight more reserved on the nose - takes some good swirling to get much. Tons of elegance and grace here. A slightly more modest and austere style. Built for the long term.
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4/28/2017 - tinybubbles wrote:
Lightly flinty with an abundance of dry and austere fruit. Balance lacking.
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3/26/2017 - burgcamel wrote: 97 Points
Still very primary. Decanted 2 hours ahead and while drinkable I believe it will take another 5 years to really show it's stuff. Tight with notes of licorice and dark berries. Wonderful mouthfeel for a young wine. Next time I will try a 4 hour decant to see if it reveals more.
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11/19/2016 - HowardNZ Likes this wine: 96 Points
Two La Las: A more evolved colour than the similarly aged Bordeaux beside it but still pretty dark. An expressive, complex bouquet of dark fruit, sandalwood, meat broth, tobacco, black spices and tar. Quite a primary nose for a 17 year old wine. No real oak artefact on bouquet or palate. In the mouth, multilayered and nuanced, constantly evolving with time in the glass. The impression of youth, the wine is not much more than a baby. Fairly closed, tight and grippy but overall very well proportioned, balanced and elegant. Savoury flavours of cooked meats, creosote, earth, blackberries and espresso. Wayne said that the last glass showed even better the next day, thicker and spicier. Better than the recent 2006 La Mouline. Excellent now, it'll benefit from another 10+ years in the cellar.
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7/10/2016 - pakabear Likes this wine: 94 Points
Extremely young still, dark fruit nose, tar, licorice, beef blood, meat, a little spritz even on the tail end of the palate. It's a bit primary so I wonder how this will evolve with time. It's a treat to have this wine as it is with any La La, always amazes me how long these wines live and take to come into balance.
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7/9/2016 - dcwino wrote: 97 Points
Marks duckhouse – La Las, 02 HB, 01 Pavie, CSH, Leflaive, QdC and etc. (Marks duckhouse, Falls Church, Va): Incredibly youthful nose displaying perfectly ripe intense black fruits, crushed blackberries, blackberry jam, liquid smoke, incense and a hint of crushed pepper. Exceptional concentration, beautifully layered fruit, sensual and silky, perfect amount of acidity and mineral and incredibly long smoky black fruit driven finish. Drinking exceptional well in very primary way but can improve for another ten years or more.
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2/9/2016 - AWBryce wrote:
Possibly slightly corked or strange oak. EArthy, blue fruits on the palate, subtle nose.
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12/17/2015 - Jeff Leve wrote: 100 Points
Incredible sense of purity in the fruit. The wine is completely seamless from start to finish. The texture blends pure silk and velvet, with exotic sensations. The finish keeps you on target for over 60 seconds. There is not much more you can ask of any wine.
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12/3/2015 - Jeff Leve wrote: 98 Points
Sweet, fresh, black cherries, caramel, licorice, smoke, barbecue, candied roasted pork, pepper and tobacco create the complex array of aromatics. Full bodied, fleshy, flashy, ripe and exotic, the wine is concentrated, long, fresh, deep and exotic. Still young, this is good now, and it's only going to get better and better!
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11/3/2015 - The Vines That Bind wrote: 94 Points
Still a huge high octane nose of oak, glycerin, with some black fruit. Tons of fruit horsepower on the palate with more oak, black currant, bourbon, and vanilla. Opens up somewhat after some time in the glass but still huge and green. The wine is tremendous right now, but needs to be laid down and revisited after another ten years. Didn't really develop those smoky bacon notes that everyone always talks about in La Turque.
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6/18/2015 - dcwino wrote: flawed
TN: Rhone dinner (The Grill Room at Capella Hotel Georgetown): A bit of controversy as it is the second wine that I think to be corked where a couple tasters enjoy immensely and have strong conviction it is not corked. Two wait staff, one a former sommelier, also think it is not corked. It is a very polished La Turque with beautiful balance. May be someone else can chime in.
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6/6/2015 - BSA Likes this wine: 96 Points
Having had both the 04 and 02 lately, this wine hit nearly all the buttons to me. Previous CT notes seem pretty accurate to me. Loved it. Wine was poured during a long dinner. Think it would have scored even higher if tasting had been a bit more in focus, as it has so much to offer. 96-97?
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3/28/2015 - Collector1855 wrote: 100 Points
During a wine diner. Dark blackish crimson. Expressive nose of black olives, game, dark fruit, fennel, some chocolate and licorice, enormous complexity. On the palate this is very well balanced combining the more structured Cote Brune and the racy Cote Blonde leading to a great mid mouth feel and finish. No matter how many times you come back to the glass this wine surprises you with another aroma or sensation. A fantastic Cote Rotie, (the whopping CT tasting note average of 97.7 after 26 reviews says everything). Ready now.
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12/20/2014 - David Paris (dbp) wrote:
I was poured this wine totally blind after a flight of Barbaresco so I had no idea what was being put in my glass... certainly didn't expect it to be the 11th highest rated wine all time by the cellartracker community. My note, written entirely before the reveal: Quite intense aroma, showing heavy candied spice notes. I also get a slight bit of bacterial note (brett?) but not in a bad or overpowering way. The wine smells mature but not old. The palate is soft and beguiling. Wonderful texture. Fairly light on the palate, but incredibly smooth with notes of spice and earth. Quite lovely and elegant. Spice and heft on the finish, with nice lovely acidity. Nice tartness and beautiful lingering fruit and acidity. I'd say drinking in a beautiful spot. I was shocked when the bottle was pulled out for several reasons... While I did expect it to be a Côte-Rôtie, I expected it to be about 10 years older. Also I actually look at the CellarTracker top 100 a few times a year and I knew that this wine was pretty damn near the top. For me, this was drinking around 94 points. I had one sip remaining after the reveal to really focus fuller on it and came up with the same assessment. A lovely wine, but I guess I'd have expected more. This bottle was opened about 16 hours prior to my pour (the previous night), so I'll refrain from a formal score.
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11/26/2014 - pigdaddy wrote: 97 Points
double-decanted, slow-ox one hour, served blind, followed over 3 hours before the reveal. (served w/'00 La Turque, '99 & '00 La Mouline)
crimson-black w/no paling at edge; most reluctant at first, becoming powerfully black-fruited, cocoa powder, roasted spices & peppercorn, mineral, wildflowers, wild bloody gamey notes, super complex after two hours; med-full & powerful; so concentrated, essence of ripe blackberry, currant liqueur, smoked meats, cracked pepper, superb balance, long & intense. showed the most evocative aromatic & palate evolution over the course of the evening (taken in context!), pretty good potential for this one.
turkey & wild mushroom Cornish "pasties"
coriander- & juniper-rubbed wild venison loin w/syrah-blk. pepper reduction; roasted turnips & their greens; brown-butter pears, roquefort & walnuts
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10/14/2014 - Jeff Leve wrote: 98 Points
Stunning in every way, even if it did not measure up to my last bottle. All that aside, the intense floral, fennel, smoky cherry, earth and black raspberry nose was a turn on. Pure, lush, sexy, concentrated and long, this is great now and will be even better with age!
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9/21/2014 - jtech wrote:
Guigal Rotie La Turque 99: Klar. Ren (touch bacon, men mistenker det er fat og tett frukt sammen). Intens nese. Kompleks. Tett, fat, bær, kaffe, cacao, bacon, touch pepper, massiv. Ungt. Jern. Rypeblod. Balansert, men stort, superfine tanniner, fat, ok friskhet, massive saker. Lang finish... kjempe vin, lagres 20 år til. Lett. Sykt massive vin
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8/4/2014 - noppakit s. wrote: 100 Points
2003 ExVoto Blanc : E. Guigal
My 3rd time and this is just reach maturity. Dense and full-bodied, very attractive and wonderful aftertaste. 97/100
1999 Le Meal : M. Chapoutier
Stunning nose, massive, very delicious, very good for the starter. 93-94/100
1999 La Turque : E. Guigal
This is splendid wine, very well-made, easy to reach but not a simply wine. Very delicious with a linger, long long-finished. 100/100
1999 La Landonne : E. Guigal
Beautiful scent of barnyard and classic Cote Rotie. Man-type, strong structure, seamless texture, delicious and very long finished. 100/100
1999 La Mouline : E. Guigal
More subtle and elegant, great in a different way between 3 La-La, sexy and silky. It's very nice to drink them together those 100 pts wines to see how they blended some white grape to change the character of the wine. 100/100
1978 Hermitage La Chapelle : Paul Jaboulet Aine
After drinking all those great wines but 1978 HLC shows the amazing thing and beyond. The nose is more clean, more deep and get over La-La easily. Unbelievable !!!
This is the 2nd best wine in my world. This is my 3rd time drinking 1978 and still Rock 'n' Roll to me.
Perfect ABC, acidity is so fresh, balance is so great and complexity is perfect. Aftertaste takes me back to the beautiful memories of my life...the morning calm, the wind blows, the warm love, the nature kisses. This is absolutely great great wine indeed. I would like to give it 105/100 if possible.
1999 Rayas
This is very beautiful sweetness but too sad to drink after HLC 1978. Anyway, Rayas is always my favorite. The Burgundy like, super well-made with a wonderful feeling of drinking. The great wine to lean on. 95-96/100
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5/27/2014 - Jeff Leve wrote: 100 Points
If you have always wondered why people pay so much for a bottle of the famous Guigal La La's, assuming you just won the lottery, snagged a bonus, hit it big in Vegas or are one of the 1%'ers, this is the wine to buy. It's perfect in every way from start to finish. Soaring aromatics, exotic textures and a finish that is still going at 60 seconds. Yes, it's young now, and it's going to get better and better. But it's impossible to deny the awesome quality of this wine.
After tasting this wine, I was asked if this deserved 101 Pts... Why not? It is that good.
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1/16/2014 - Lord Rayas wrote: 94 Points
Lunch with Jon and Eric (The Principal): 1hr decant. still very young. dark, rich, with complex notes of violet and roasted herbs.
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8/22/2013 - Jeff Leve wrote: 100 Points
To paraphrase Shakespeare, at some point, "comparisons are odious." With wines at this level, they are truly impossible to compare. There is so much depth of flavor, concentration and complexity, it's hard to know where to start. The wine coats your mouth and palate with incredibly ripe, exotic, sensuous, mineral driven fruits that remain and expand for more than 60 seconds. Incredibly expensive, but if you have the cash, you need a bottle of this elixir!
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12/26/2012 - BradE wrote:
A great wine, which still needs a bit more time. Drink your 91's if you have them, and hold on to these for a while.
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11/6/2012 - reichken wrote: 94 Points
lots going on here, will be very good further down the road
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6/14/2010 - Winekrupt wrote: 99 Points
99 points for this one, and not because it deserves less than a hundred, but because I need to keep a point in reserve just in case better does exist. Dark in the glass, powerful complex nose, with no one characteristic dominating another...so very elegant. You keep looking, and you just keep finding: violet, cedar box, pepper, liquer de cassis, blackberry, smoke, torrified notes. The palate is pure finesse; again no one flavour dominating another. Amazingly fresh, not stewed or cooked or tired on any level; the acidity perfectly balanced with the fruit, and the tannins... silky. Again, the intensity and elegance of the floral, fruit, smoke and spice etc. was pure pleasure. It broke my heart to see the last drop go.
I would like to mention that I opened another bottle of this before christmas 09, and it was corked. I sent the bottle to Ampuis, and a week letter a replacement was sent with an apologetic hand written note. I shall always be a loyal customer.
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10/9/2009 - Jeff W wrote:
Some overall impressions from a night of LaLas:
The 1999 La Turque was the outstanding wine from the Young Turks flight, a massive, brooding but unyielding presence. If I had any I would wait 20 years. The 1998 La Turque was very close in terms of quality, and more approachable. The 1995 La Turque was the one I would choose to drink now, if I was lucky enough to have the choice. Very young, though it didn’t feel so much like infanticide, with lovely tannins. The 2005 Hommage was fascinating; tight as a drum and determined not to play, but the quality and long term potential are undoubted.
The older wines gave great pleasure. Both Steve and I had been nervous about how they would show, particularly in such august company, but we need not have worried. The 1979 La Mouline was soft and delicious; whether it’s past it’s peak I don’t know, but it’s drinking perfectly. The 1981 La Landonne was as I remembered, earthy, meaty and charming, though probably past its peak. The 1987 La Turque, like the other old weaker vintage wines, was pure pleasure. It seems you can’t get a poor LaLa. (Note to self: must look at the 2002s.)
Finally, three wines with a huge reputation; the 1988 La Mouline and La Landonne, and the 1989 La Mouline. Collecting my thoughts a day later (and recognising that a certain quantity of alcohol had been consumed by this time) I can’t say more than they were all singing and all deeply impressive.
The overall impression was of quality and consistency. LaLas never seem to disappoint.
My first experience of Chez Bruce, and it was certainly a good choice. The food was excellent and they provided an extraordinary number of stems. What on earth the neighbouring tables made of it I can’t think.
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5/20/2009 - Jeff Leve wrote: 100 Points
This is a true OMFG wine! When a wine has it all, flavor, palate presence, incredible persistence of finish and continues getting better with each sniff and sip, you know you are in the presence of greatness. Blacker in color and on the palate spectrum than the majestic Mouline, this has even more concentration and additional layers of complexity. Take everything found in the Mouline, add pepper, plums and blackberries and you get an idea of what to expect in the perfume. What makes this all work is, with so much going on, everything is in perfect harmony. While both 99’s are in my opinion perfect examples of Cote Rotie, on this night, I preferred La Turque for the first time.
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4/7/2009 - acheng wrote: 96 Points
My first La Turque. Stunning aromatics. Smoke, bacon and dark fruit. Have definitely not experienced anything like this. A seamless balance of acidity and fruit. Tannin is also well integrated. An extraordinary wine.
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1/29/2009 - winefool wrote: 96 Points
Wine Engagement Dinner (NoMi): Perhaps not as profound as the Mouline, I thought the Turque was drinking the best tonight. Full deep red color. Huge nose of sour red/black fruit with chocolate notes. mmmn, big bright black cherry fruit with spice and sweet notes. Great balance and light on its feet for everything it carries. 96-97 pts.
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1/9/2009 - gorm wrote: 100 Points
Uncorked DK does Northern Rhône - Guigal, Chave, Chapoutier and more (Premisse, Copenhagen): Dark red with slightly light and brown rim. Very sweet and intense - almost aetherial - nose with roasted coffee, tobacco, black tea and dried flowers. In the mouth there is enormous intensity, but also a lightness married to both bredth and depth. Notes of licorice, tar, herbs and pitch black berries. It appears seamless and with a stupendously long aftertaste. I gave the Mouline 100 almost instantaneously, but this kept growing on me as well and I had to surrender after 10 minutes of profound praising of the wine on my part.
(U:98,8)
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6/21/2008 - Catnapped wrote: 99 Points
Got the last bottle of this at Canlis. Huge wine, still quite young. Very dark (inky black) and earthy. Huge nose, lots of dark cherry and mocha on the palate, and big bacon smoke on the nose after it had been open for a while. This was my first La Turque, and I found it to have a much more rustic style than the other two single vineyards (if it makes sense to apply the word "rustic" to such a finely crafted wine). Tart and tannic right out of the bottle, but after about a half hour in the decanter, it opened up and showed itself to be a massive, beautifully balanced powerhouse that still managed to compliment the food we were eating without overwhelming it. It continued to open up and reveal new flavors over the next two hours. I was sorry to see it go. Next time I would decant it a little earlier and sample lightly for at least the first hour to give it more time.
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8/27/2007 - kstoddard wrote: 95 Points
G7 (Jock): Blackberry, blueberry, cherry, tar and leather. Rich, concentrated and a bit monolithic which should change some bottle age. Very well balanced with nice acidity. Elegant finish. The most closed of the three 1999 La Las. 13% alcohol.
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8/18/2007 - Will wrote:
I liked it less than the others, especially in the beginning, but it evolved very favourably with time. I wouldn't say the wine is obvious, it looked more understated to me, with a very delicate nose and an incredibly soft, velvety mouthfeel. Still needs years to reach maturity.
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5/4/2007 - Hillbilly wrote: 100 Points
With the SB crew. Incredible density and dark color. Rich and thick with intense fruit. Opened for many hours and just keeps improving. A monumental wine. Dark fruits, bacon fat, smoke, cigar box, purple flowers and black olive flavors swirl around the glass. Shows great power and complexity, what more do you want? Coats the mouth, superb finish. No doubt this will be fantastic down the road as it improves and ages.
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12/21/2006 - gorm wrote: 99 Points
My first lalala... Dark and brooding in color. The nose, even though a bit closed at this stage, is overwhelming yet delicate with loads of sweetness, flowers, minerals and mocca, mocca, mocca. It tastes like essence of Syrah - blueberry and blackberry licquor, but where top-Syrah is often heavy as a WW2 tank this wine dances on your tongue as a ballerina... It's immensely intense and complex, yet light, almost ethereal. Its broad and deep in a very demonstrative way. Aftertaste is close to 1 minute. I certainly hope and pray this won't be my last! 99+
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2/14/2005 - Jeff Leve wrote: 100 Points
This is just as compelling as its stable mates. Smokey coffee notes blended with a liqueur of blue and black fruits. Very sensuous mouth feel with a complex finish that never quits. It must last at least :60! Otherworldly is an apt descriptor
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2/14/2005 - Eric wrote: 100 Points
La La's with Leve in La La Land (Los Angeles, CA): Utter perfection, one of the most compelling young wines I have ever tasted.
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11/7/2003 - Joe Belmaati wrote: 95 Points
Dark, violet red colour. Smells like olives and cinnamon. Large bodied with a velvety soft texture and surprising delicacy for a wine with enough power to take out a battle ship. Juicy, fresh, brooding, and packing a myriad of interesting flavour aspects. I do love when a wine with great power manages to incorporate complexity. The finish lasted about 40 seconds and was delicious and balanced.
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10/4/2003 - Joe Belmaati wrote: 95 Points
Purple in the glass. Scents of leather and ink. Sweet and vanilla-like in taste. Juicy and chewy, concentrated and multi complex. Packed with nuances and a roasted nature. Big in structure and the elements seemed to be kept nicely in check. Although the wine was obviously quite heavily oaked, there were no signs of an overtly manipulated wine. Long and intense aftertaste.
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