40+ months in new oak barrels made by the family that they do not sell., this is the oldest vineyard of the LaLa's dating back to 1893. A summer wave of garden smells, fresh roses, mint and cherries.

Like the 2017, Guigal's 2018 Cote Rotie La Mouline boasts incredible aromatics, with highs ranging from violets and peppery spice to ripe blueberries and raspberries. The oak is in the background, supporting the supple fruit. Full-bodied, lush and silky, La Mouline seems to have it all in 2018. Tasting at Guigal is always one of the highlights of my Northern Rhône trip. Because of the family's breadth of production and hallmark long élevage, it provides a chance to look at several vintages together, along with commentary from the knowledgeable patriarch, Marcel Guigal. This year, I was joined by Marcel, his son Philippe and Jacques Desvernois, hired away from Jaboulet in the summer of 2018, for a five-hour marathon in the chilly cellar beneath the company's headquarters in Ampuis. Despite the cool temperatures, there were smiles all around at the quality of the samples on the table. "Global warming has been fabulous for the Northern Rhône," said Marcel at one point.

The 2018 Côte Rôtie La Mouline (which includes 15% Viognier) tastes like a mix of the 2015 and 2018 and has full-bodied richness and depth as well as remarkable purity in its cassis and blackberry fruits as well as classic Côte Rôtie spice, game, and assorted meatiness. With ripe tannins and a fleshy, blockbuster style, it’s going to evolve gracefully for 25-30 years

Expansive aromas of ripe red and blue fruits, potpourri, incense and smoky minerals pick up an exotic nuance as the wine opens up. Broad and seamless on the palate, displaying sharp delineation to the sappy, mineral-inflected black raspberry, boysenberry, candied violet and spicecake flavors. Shows a distinctly suave character and finishes extremely long and appealingly sweet, with discreet tannins framing lingering blue fruit liqueur and floral notes.