2011 La Landonne
By Guigal
2011 La Landonne from Guigal, Rhone
Unveiling the 2011 La Landonne from Guigal, an audacious testament to Rhone's winemaking prowess. This specific vintage presented unpredictable weather conditions, but the winery definitively proved its remarkable ability to adapt, resulting in a deeply unique expression of Syrah.
Grounded elegance elevated by tenacity
This Rhone jewel demonstrates what makes the region so glorious, extracting significant potential out of a challenging climate. The 2011 season was marked by earlier ripening, forcing Guigal to harvest with careful precision while determining the exact apex of maturity. The result is an exposition of the grape's inherent stamina, transforming potential adversity into a fortuitous singularity.
Vintage matters: a daring dance with Mother Nature
In Rhone, the burgeoning 2011 year proposed notable difficulties for many producers due to unseasonably warm winter and spring. Nevertheless, Guigal triumphed by meticulously nurturing their crops to peak maturation regardless of obstacles.
Their exceptional patience and anticipation resulted in an intoxicating blend of concentrically firm tannins and fruit density sculpted by the sun-soaked terrain. And so, the 2011 La Landonne successfully portrays a timecapsule of the year's unique circumstances.
The palate sways between whispers of black fruit and mesquite before resolving into a lingering mineral finish. Correspondingly, discreet undertones of forest-floor truffle serve as earthy anchors enhancing the multilayered character of this heartfelt Syrah.
Undoubtedly, 2011 La Landonne stands as an intriguing legacy in the wine investment sphere; a nod to Guigal's masterful winemaking and a testament to the vigour of a vineyard that persists and thrives amidst nature's caprice.
2011 La Landonne - A thriving testament
In retrospect, Guigal's 2011 La Landonne is a celebration of adaptability and landmark achievements. A vintage that, despite the resilience it demanded, yielded a fantastically structured wine. This edition realises a complex mélange of flavours, painting a vivid portrait of the Rhone environment and an unwavering testament to the enduring qualities of Syrah.
Market price (GBP)
£2,570.00
12x75cl
Highest score
99
POP score
135.26
Scores and tasting notes
A step up over the other two single vineyard releases, the 2011 Cote Rotie la Landonne is an incredible wine that knocks it out of the park in the vintage. Its inky purple/ruby color is followed by to-die-for notes of cassis, black olives, truffles, graphite and crushed rock. Full-bodied, massively concentrated, thick and unctuous, it has the vintage’s flamboyant fruit profile, yet backs it up with a stacked mid-palate, serious amounts of tannin and a finish that just won’t quite. It’s relatively approachable now due to its glycerin and fat, yet needs a decade of cellaring and will knock your socks off over the following two decades or more.
Jeb Dunnuck - The Wine Advocate, 30 December 2015