As with the other two single-parcel Cote Roties, the 2010 Cote Rotie La Landonne is pure perfection in a glass. An incredibly massive, muscular, full-bodied effort, it has an insane amount of structure to go with an equal amount of concentrated fruit. Cassis, smoked bacon, coffee bean, cracked pepper and liquid rock-like qualities are all present here, and it hits the palate with a chiseled, focused textured, building tannin and terrific length. It’s the most backward of the 2010s and will require a decade of cellaring, but will keep for about as long as you’d like to hold onto bottles.

The father/son team of Marcel and Philippe Guigal continue to keep their estate at the top of the hierarchy in the Rhône Valley. All the way from their inexpensive Côtes du Rhône to their top-end Côte Rôties and Hermtiage, the attention to detail and focus on quality is unmatched. Readers should also check out the recent Rhone Retrospective article I wrote that covered the Saint Joseph Vignes des Hospices, Côte Rôtie Brune et Blonde, Côte Rôtie Chateau d´Ampuis and Côte Rôtie La Mouline cuvees going back for over a decade. I said it there, and I´ll say it again here, this estate is producing some of the most incredible and singular wines in the world.

Score: 98-100 Robert Parker (RP), The Wine Advocate (WA), December 2014