Guigal   La Mouline   Cote Blonde

2010 La Mouline - Cote Blonde

By Guigal

2010 La Mouline - Cote Blonde by Guigal, Rhone

The year of 2010 was one for the record books in the Rhone Valley, and nowhere is this more clear than the captivating rendition displayed in the 2010 La Mouline - Cote Blonde from Guigal. This vintage was a marriage of impeccable timing, favorable climatic conditions and deeply embedded knowledge of the nuanced Rhone terroir, Kodachrome captured in a bottle if you will.

 

Finesse and depth, a bounty for savvy investors

Guigal has always been a name synonymous with reverence within wine circles, their ability to extract the very soul of Syrah captured beautifully within each release. This portfolio certainly has the intensity to grace any investor's collection.

The 2010 La Mouline - Cote Blonde doesn’t simply echo its heralded pedigree, it amplifies it. The gentle orchestration of tart dark fruit teaming with hints of pepper and leather creates a symphony of taste tailor-made for the Scène Nationale Orchestra.

 

Harmonic climate, expressive wines

The Rhone Valley's unique 2010 climatic conditions fostered an impressive tension in the grapes’ maturation, managing to give birth to a remarkable vintage defined by its rare balance of power and elegance.

This tightrope act dances delicately across your palate with a poise that bears testament to the region’s unique climatic sculptures. Notes of blackberry and cassis are punctuated with suggestions of olive tapenade and smoked meats for an undeniably complex finish.

Chiseled tannins create a framework for thrilling aging potential, reinforcing the investment opportunities associated with this vintage while never overshadowing the immediate pleasure it offers. The 2010 La Mouline - Cote Blonde from Guigal is a testament to Rhone's terroir, an exemplar of its vintage, embodying the très bien vision of one of the best wineries in the world.

This is not just a wine; it’s the embodiment of Rhone in 2010. A must-buy for any investor seeking to enrich a diversified fine wine portfolio.

Current market price

£4,520.00

12x75cl

Highest score

100

POP score

226

Scores and tasting notes

100

As to three single parcel releases, I reviewed the 2010 Cote Rotie La Mouline earlier this year, but was more than happy to taste it again (lucky me) for this report. Incorporating a full 11% of Viognier and coming from the steep, terraced vines in the Cote Blonde lieu-dit, it sports a heavenly bouquet of spring flowers, incense, violets, cured meats and sweet cassis. Full-bodied, voluptuous and as seamless as they come, Syrah just doesn’t get any more alluring, sexy or impressive. Give it 5-6 years and drink bottles over the following 2 decades or more.

Jeb Dunnuck - The Wine Advocate, 29 December 2014

Vintage performance