E. Guigal

Côte-Rôtie La Mouline 2022

Cote-Rotie

La Mouline is historically the oldest vineyard site in Cote-Rotie, with walls dating back 2,400 years. Today its vines are also the oldest in the region, averaging 90 years of age, with the oldest dating back to plantings in the 1890s, from the first plantings after phylloxera. Acquired in 1963 from the Dervieux family, La Mouline was Guigal’s first single-vineyard Côte-Rôtie, and the inaugural vintage was 1966. This 1-HA vineyard is located on the lighter soils of the Cote Blonde, and is planted to about 11% Viognier, aspects that give La Mouline its telltale aromatic complexity and additional softness and roundness; it is often called the most feminine of Guigal’s Côte-Rôties.

VINEYARD

The steeply terraced amphitheater of La Mouline is not only visually impressive, but lends a variety of expositions and, importantly, both shelters the one-hectare site from the wind and acts as a heat trap. The gneiss bedrock has soils of lightly colored silicon containing limestone loess. The site is planted mostly with Syrah in addition to some Viognier; the two varieties are picked together and co-fermented.

WINEMAKING

The Syrah and Viognier co-ferment in stainless steel vats, macerating for four weeks with traditional pump overs. It ages for 42 months in new oak barrels made by Guigal’s cooperage at the Château d’Ampuis.

VINTAGE

The 2022 Northern Rhône vintage faced extreme heat and drought, with the hottest and driest growing season since 1950, surpassing even the 2003 vintage. Dry conditions in winter and spring were followed by intense heatwaves in June and July, causing significant stress on the vines. Mid-August rainfall provided some relief, promoting ripening, but yields were still notably low. The resulting wines are concentrated and full-bodied, with rich fruit, though some reds may feature tougher tannins due to the challenging growing conditions.

TASTING NOTE

An intensely aromatic, powerful nose that still shows finesse in its floral violet and blackberry aromas. The palate is supple, with divine balance between the finesse of the aromas and an explosive richness due to the concentration of the wine.

Color

Red

Blend %

100% Syrah

Appellation

Cote-Rotie

Alcohol

13.5%

Suggested Retail Price

$657

Reviews

Jeb Dunnuck - May 9, 2025 "Black raspberries, wildflowers, and bacon fat emerge from the 2022 Côte Rôtie La Mouline, which has an exotic yet dark, rich, and powerful profile. Based on 89% Syrah and 11% Viognier and aged 42 months in new oak, it has plenty of mid-palate depth, full-bodied richness, and ripe tannins, all while maintaining classic La Mouline character and sexiness."

95

Vinous - April 5, 2024

Trade Materials

Other Wines by this Producer

Côte-Rôtie La Reynarde

Côte-Rôtie

From a steep Côte Brune vineyard planted in 2010 to honor the birth of Philippe Guigal’s twin sons, La Reynarde is 100% Syrah grown on granite, schist and iron-rich clay. In style, it sits between La Turque and La Landonne, showing a lifted and exotic floral character that differentiates it from the other LaLa’s, with a superbly precise density and length.

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.

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.

Hermitage

Hermitage

Hermitage is one of France’s most spectacular and famous appellations, 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. The Hermitage Rouge is the example of a racy wine, that manages to remain seductive.