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2003 E. Guigal Hermitage

SKU #1030255 93 points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

Outer quote mark The 2003 Hermitage is a beauty that shows the best of this extreme, freakishly hot vintage. Full-bodied, plump, textured, and concentrated, it offers ample plums, violets, barbecued meats, licorice and a touch of mint. The tannin showed a touch of worrisome rusticity at first, but this was quickly covered up by masses of sweet fruit and texture as the wine sat in the glass. I'd drink bottles over the coming decade, and assuming its tannin stays nicely balanced and sweet, it will hold for even longer. (JD) Inner quote mark (9/2015)

93 points Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar

Outer quote mark Ruby-red. Fresh raspberry and cherry on the nose, with a suave floral quality adding complexity. Seemed to gain freshness with air, the fruit picking up zesty minerality and sexy baking spices. Undeniably rich but this possesses uncanny elegance and vivacity for an Hermitage, much less one from this hot vintage. (JR) Inner quote mark (2/2008)

93 points Wine Spectator

Outer quote mark Ripe and concentrated, this shows plum, currant and cherry fruit intertwined with spice, espresso and black licorice notes. Has a tarry, slightly raisined edge to the finish, but the structure and heady fruit take an encore, boding well for cellaring, though you may always wrestle with the tannins. (JM) Inner quote mark (6/2007)

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2003 E. Guigal Hermitage

Price: $79.99

Quantity:

RP: 93

ST: 93

WS: 93

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Varietal:

Shiraz/Syrah

- One of France's noblest black grape varieties, Syrah is known for its intense and distinctive perfume reminiscent of briar fruit, tar, spice and black pepper and its firm structure. One of few black grape varietals frequently vinified on its own, the best examples of Syrah come from the Northern Rhône, particularly Hermitage, but also Côte-Rôtie, Cornas, Crozes-Hermitage and St-Joseph. These wines are very astringent in their youth, though some Crozes-Hermitage and St-Joseph can be enjoyed young, relatively speaking. Given the requisite patience, though, these wines can reveal amazing complexity and secondary fruit characteristics like plum and blackcurrant as well as subtle hints of smoke and flowers. In the Southern Rhône, Syrah is used to add structure and complexity to wines dominated by Grenache and complemented by Mourvèdre, like the more immediately drinkable Côte du Rhônes, as well as the long-lived wines of Châteauneuf-du-Pape. In recent years, plantings of Syrah have spread throughout the Languedoc-Roussillon where it is produced on its own or blended with other varietals. Outside of France, the most important Syrah growing country is easily Australia, where it is called Shiraz. Quality levels here depend greatly on yields and geography, and the wines range from bold, fruity and easy-drinking to intense and ageable, like the famed Penfolds Grange. Often bottled on its own, in Australia Syrah is also can be blended with Grenache and Mourvèdre, as in the Southern Rhône, and is increasingly combined with Cabernet Sauvignon. Syrah has also been steadily increasing in popularity in California, thanks to a group of advocates called the Rhône Rangers. Its most successful iterations come from the Central and Sonoma Coasts, where winemakers are pushing boundaries and creating some incredible wines. In recent years Syrah has also found a number of proponents in Washington State, which is definitely a region to watch for this variety.

Country:

France

- When it comes to wine, France stands alone. No other country can beat it in terms of quality and diversity. And while many of its Region, Bordeaux, Burgundy and Champagne most obviously, produce wine as rare, as sought-after and nearly as expensive as gold, there are just as many obscurities and values to be had from little known appellations throughout the country. To learn everything there is to know about French wine would take a lifetime. To understand and appreciate French wine, one only has to begin tasting them.

Sub-Region:

Rhone

- Legendary wine-producing region in southeast France. Stereotypically speaking, Rhone wines are high in alcohol, and the majority produced is red. The northern Rhone is best known for outstanding 100% Syrah wines from areas such as Cote Rotie and Hermitage, as well as for fabulous white wines from Condrieu (where Viognier is king). In the southern Rhone, look for spicy, full-bodied wines that are blends of Grenache, Syrah, and other varietals coming from appellations such as Chateauneuf du Pape, Gigondas, or Rasteau. Wines labeled as Cote du Rhone or Cotes du Rhone Village (a cut above generic Cotes du Rhone) are frequently found here in the US because they often represent some of the best values on the market.

Specific Appellation:

2003 E. Guigal Hermitage

2003 E. Guigal Hermitage

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Shiraz/Syrah

France

Rhone

Hermitage/Crozes-Hermitage