6 bottles per lot
Details
Rhône
In southeastern France, the Rhône River empties into the Mediterranean. The most well-known wines of this region are from the south-both simple and inexpensive quaffing Côtes du Rhône and the wines of Châteauneuf-du-Pape. The northern Rhône, however, accounts for only about a tenth of production, but almost all in fine wines. In the north, specifically the wines of Côte-Rôtie and Hermitage represented here, the vines perch on cliffs of granite lining the river. The grape here is Syrah (known has Shiraz elsewhere), as well as Marsanne, Rousanne, and Viognier for the white wines. In Côte-Rôtie, Guigal is the dominant winery. Marcel Guigal took over from his father Etienne in 1961 and soon thereafter began making the single vineyard wines for which the winery is so well known. La Turque, La Mouline and La Landonne, collectively known as "the La Las" among fans, are mostly Syrah, with a small percentage of the white grape Viognier blended in (except La Landonne, which is 100 Syrah), as is the custom in the region. La Mouline is from a portion of the region known as the Côte Blonde, and La Turque and La Landonne are from the Côte Brune. The former is slightly sandier with a limestone element, whereas the latter is heavier clay. Either way, the wines of Guigal are the benchmark for great Syrah the world over, and capable for ageing and gaining complexity over decades in the bottle. Hermitage is small hill of just 134 hectares, marked by a small chapel (the hermitage) overlooking one of the finest vineyard sites in the northern Valley. For centuries, Hermitage has been seen as a "big" wine, and was famously added to lesser Bordeaux and Burgundy to richen it, and toughen it up for export to England. Now, of course, this process would be unheard of, as Hermitage is in itself one of the leading wines of France. There are four wineries dominating this region: the larger houses of Jaboulet and Chapoutier, Delas, and finally the artisan Chave. Within the Hermitage appellation there are numerous vineyard sites but, unlike in Burgundy, wines are not typically bottled under the vineyard names. Instead, the vineyard sites are blended under one label. One of these sites, Les Vercandières, has been deemed unacceptable for grapes, and is used as a vegetable patch. Chave also makes a "micro cuvée," Cuvée Cathelin, named after Bernard Cathelin, an artist and friend of the family who designed the label for this wine. Only about 100 cases of this wine are made.
Côte-Rôtie, La Mouline--Vintage 1993
Rhône, E. Guigal
6 bottles per lot
In southeastern France, the Rhône River empties into the Mediterranean. The most well-known wines of this region are from the south-both simple and inexpensive quaffing Côtes du Rhône and the wines of Châteauneuf-du-Pape. The northern Rhône, however, accounts for only about a tenth of production, but almost all in fine wines. In the north, specifically the wines of Côte-Rôtie and Hermitage represented here, the vines perch on cliffs of granite lining the river. The grape here is Syrah (known has Shiraz elsewhere), as well as Marsanne, Rousanne, and Viognier for the white wines. In Côte-Rôtie, Guigal is the dominant winery. Marcel Guigal took over from his father Etienne in 1961 and soon thereafter began making the single vineyard wines for which the winery is so well known. La Turque, La Mouline and La Landonne, collectively known as "the La Las" among fans, are mostly Syrah, with a small percentage of the white grape Viognier blended in (except La Landonne, which is 100 Syrah), as is the custom in the region. La Mouline is from a portion of the region known as the Côte Blonde, and La Turque and La Landonne are from the Côte Brune. The former is slightly sandier with a limestone element, whereas the latter is heavier clay. Either way, the wines of Guigal are the benchmark for great Syrah the world over, and capable for ageing and gaining complexity over decades in the bottle. Hermitage is small hill of just 134 hectares, marked by a small chapel (the hermitage) overlooking one of the finest vineyard sites in the northern Valley. For centuries, Hermitage has been seen as a "big" wine, and was famously added to lesser Bordeaux and Burgundy to richen it, and toughen it up for export to England. Now, of course, this process would be unheard of, as Hermitage is in itself one of the leading wines of France. There are four wineries dominating this region: the larger houses of Jaboulet and Chapoutier, Delas, and finally the artisan Chave. Within the Hermitage appellation there are numerous vineyard sites but, unlike in Burgundy, wines are not typically bottled under the vineyard names. Instead, the vineyard sites are blended under one label. One of these sites, Les Vercandières, has been deemed unacceptable for grapes, and is used as a vegetable patch. Chave also makes a "micro cuvée," Cuvée Cathelin, named after Bernard Cathelin, an artist and friend of the family who designed the label for this wine. Only about 100 cases of this wine are made.
Côte-Rôtie, La Mouline--Vintage 1993
Rhône, E. Guigal
6 bottles per lot
Provenance
NYWinesChristie's, December 8, 2006, Lot 1468