E. Guigal
Hermitage 2017
Hermitage
Guigal’s Hermitage Rouge is a true expression of the Northern Rhône Valley, where the red wines have a profile unlike anywhere else in the world, an irresistible combination of warm flavors of red and black fruit and exotic spice notes that bring great pleasure.
Hermitage is one of France’s most spectacular and famous appellations within the Rhône, producing small quantities of extraordinarily intense and ageworthy red wine and tiny amounts of dry white. The entire vineyard consists of 309 acres planted on a single granite hillside on the banks of the Rhône. In Guigal’s hands, the Hermitage Rouge is a racy wine, that manages to remain seductive.
VINEYARD
The Guigals own 4 parcels in Hermitage, planted on limestone, clay loam and sandy topsoils that lie above the granite mother rock. To supplement this, they will also purchase grapes from small growers. Overall, vine age averages 30 years.
WINEMAKING
Hermitage is picked by hand before undergoing a vinification of around 3 weeks in temperature controlled stainless steel vats.
The wine is aged for 30-36 months in barrels coopered exclusively by Guigal, 50% of which were new. Bottling was without fining or filtration. This robust and powerful wine especially needs the extended aging both in barrel and in bottle before release so that it can integrate and develop its bouquet and palate of black fruits, minerality and game.
Vintage
Following the classic 2016 vintage, 2017 in the Northern Rhône was a year of contrasts and challenges. Following a very dry winter, spring was wet with hail and frost in some areas, reducing the crop considerably. Summer was characterized by periods of extreme drought, which continued through the fall, interrupted by some needed rain in early September. The crop in Hermitage was about 25% smaller than usual. However, the fruit was clean and extremely concentrated, with rich but round tannins, producing dense wines of balance, length and long aging potential. Guigal’s 2017 Hermitage is uncharacteristically rich, with the usual great depth and length – impressive right after bottling. A great result!
Tasting Note
This is a wine that displays deep rub red with violet tinges. The nose opens with spices, red berries and delicate oak aromas. The palate is typical of a powerful wine with strong tannic structure. Aromas of blackcurrant buds and vanilla follow, with a spicy licorice finish. In conclusion, the wine is racy and seductive, perfect for putting down.
Color
Red
Grape Varieties
Syrah
Appellation
Hermitage
Alcohol
14.5%
Suggested Retail Price
$75
Reviews
"Rich, full-bodied, and powerful"
Jeb Dunnuck - October 12, 2020 "Aged 48 months in barrel, it’s ruby/purple-colored and has a killer nose of blackcurrants, black raspberries, smoked meats, spice box, vanillin, and espresso. Rich, full-bodied, and powerful, with background oak, loads of fruit, and ripe, sweet tannins, it shows the style of this vintage beautifully."
"A whirl of complexity"
Wine Advocate - May 14, 2021 "Guigal's 2017 Hermitage boasts singed leather, exotic spice and roasted meat notes, plus plenty of cedar, mocha, cherry and cassis. It's a whirl of complexity bound together on the medium to full-bodied palate by velvety, chewy tannins that give way on the finish to savory spices and a wash of ripe fruit. It should drink well for 10-15 years."
"Combination of steadfast tannic power and grace"
Wine & Spirits Magazine - August 19, 2021 "Yes, there’s the sumptuous oak that’s a hallmark of Guigal reds, as well as a hedonistic chocolatey density of flavor. There’s red fruit and warm spice, licorice and earth, and a meaty flavor akin to the crispy, salty bits on the bottom of a roasting pan. But the standout element in this wine is its combination of steadfast tannic power and grace. It brings to mind Richard Serra’s iron sculptures, monolithic, voluptuous and built to last for ages."
"Strong Tenacity"
Vinous - December 22, 2022 "Deep, vivid ruby. A highly perfumed bouquet evokes ripe dark berries, cherry liqueur, floral and exotic spices, with botanical herb, game and olive notes in the background. Concentrated but energetic as well, offering sharply defined blackberry, bitter cherry, candied violet, vanilla and exotic spice flavors with a touch of spicy cracked pepper. Clings with strong tenacity on the penetrating finish, which is framed by well-absorbed tannins. 50% new oak." J.R 12/22
Reviews
Trade Materials
Other Wines by this Producer
Saint Joseph Vignes de l’Hospice
Saint-Joseph
Guigal’s Vignes de l’Hospice is one of the finest sites in the Northern Rhone Valley. This steeply terraced vineyard used to be divided into three, but Guigal now owns majority of this parcel in order to restore perception of Saint-Joseph as an appellation of utmost quality. In fact, Guigal is often asked when they will produce a fourth “LaLa,” and their response is that their fourth single vineyard phenomenon of the Northern Rhone is already being produced: the Vignes de l’Hospice.
Côte-Rôtie La Landonne
Côte-Rôtie
One of the three “LaLa” wines that Guigal produces and are the most collectible wines of the Rhone Valley, La Landonne is a remarkable expression of terroir. And for good reason, La Landonne is situated on one of the steepest vineyards of the Côte Brune, a 45 degree slope that remarkably requires harvesters to start picking from the bottom of the vineyard and work their way up, placing grape bunches in bins that are set on sleds and dragged up the hill. Along with its position at the northern end of the Côte Brune and the fact it is the last vineyard to ripen, La Landonne is the mirror of the feminine and voluptuous La Mouline: it is a wine of driving power, defined by its dark fruit and structure. The first vintage Guigal produced was in 1978, after being planted in 1975 at the time of Philippe Guigal’s birth.
Côte-Rôtie La Turque
Côte-Rôtie
Of the three famous single-vineyard “LaLas” that Guigal produces and are the most collectible wines of the Rhone Valley, La Turque is the newest. This vineyard produced outstanding wines in the first half of the 20th century, but then was not used for wine production for nearly 50 years. The Guigals acquired the vineyard and re-planted it in 1980 and 1981, based on Etienne Guigal’s memory of the quality of the wines it once produced. The first vintage appeared in 1985. In both position and style, it sits between La Mouline and La Landonne: the complex soils lend an exotic character to La Turque, and its concentration and elegance exhibit the virility of the Côte Brune with the subtlety and femininity of the Côte Blonde.
Côte-Rôtie La Mouline
Côte-Rôtie
First planted by the Romans 2,500 years ago, La Mouline is the oldest and most famous vineyard of Cote-Rotie, and Guigal’s single vineyard bottling of La Mouline in the 1960s set off a quality revolution throughout the Rhone Valley. The stunning amphitheater is the most complex plot in Cote-Rotie due to its extremely steep slopes with expositions in every direction. Of the three famous “LaLas” that Guigal produces and are the most collectible wines of the Rhone Valley, La Mouline was the first and is the only one on the Cote Blonde, and its signature is an unbelievable exoticism, an irresistibly and unique lifted floral, black fruit, earthy, spicy perfume, its coiled power always in balance, seemingly endless.
Ermitage Ex Voto Rouge
Hermitage
Ermitage Ex-Voto represents the fulfillment of a longtime dream of Marcel Guigal’s to own vineyard land on the hill of Hermitage. Through the purchase of the de Vallouit and J. L. Grippat domaines in 2000, Guigal acquired four exceptional vineyard parcels on this legendary site. The 2001 vintage was the first release of this estate-bottled Hermitage red and white. The quality of the intense old-vine fruit is quite special, but given the Guigal’s already strong work in Hermitage, they decided to only release an Ex-Voto red or white when the wine is utterly exceptional and clearly superior to their appellation bottlings.
Ermitage Ex Voto Blanc
Hermitage
Ermitage Ex-Voto represents the fulfillment of a longtime dream of Marcel Guigal’s to own vineyard land on the hill of Hermitage. Through the purchase of the de Vallouit and J. L. Grippat domaines in 2000, Guigal acquired four exceptional vineyard parcels on this legendary site. The 2001 vintage was the first release of this estate-bottled Hermitage red and white. The quality of the intense old-vine fruit is quite special, but given the Guigal’s already strong work in Hermitage, they decided to only release an Ex-Voto red or white when the wine is utterly exceptional and clearly superior to their appellation bottlings.
Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc
Châteauneuf-du-Pape
Guigal produces an intensely concentrated, inviting and complex Châteauneuf-du-Pape that is almost unique to the region today. Their passion for Châteauneuf, the leading appellation of the Southern Rhône, runs as deeply as that for their home sites in the Northern Rhône. The combination of working with top fruit that has perfect ripeness, along with their extraordinary patience in the cellar, results in rich and full, yet savory, spicy, seamless and balanced wines. Wines to enjoy immediately but capable of aging, and, above all, wines that leave you wanting more.
Hermitage Blanc
Hermitage
Whites make up a small percentage of production in the Rhône, under 2%, but white wines are a little bit of a secret specialty at Guigal and today comprise 25% of their production. And for good reason, as the whites of the Northern Rhône are true discovery wines, immensely appealing and complex. They specifically display an expressiveness and brightness while also capturing the warmth of the area. Even more of a discovery is Hermitage Blanc, one of the least-known yet most intriguing wines of the Rhône Valley and in the small 309 acre Hermitage AOC.
Condrieu La Doriane
Condrieu
La Doriane is a luxury cuvée of Condrieu that the Guigals have produced since the 1994 vintage. A great success since the first vintage, the wine always seems richly oaked and very fruity when young, transforming in 3-4 years into a seamlessly complex, aromatic and vibrant wine. La Doriane contradicts the accepted wisdom that Condrieu does not age well.
