- April 14, 2008
You know how it is sometimes ... you keep telling your wife about this special and highly rated wine that you bought (you won't of course tell her what you actually paid for), you wait for a special evening to examine with her the first bottle, you might even spend the evening in the kitchen for a sophisticated dinner, and then you sit down ... and the wine turns out mediocre. So, I didn't expect too much from this bottle of 1998 La Turque and even more important, I didn't get my wife crazy about it.
Brought up from my cellar in the morning, the wine had a good 6 hrs before consumption to air. I'm not a great fan of decanting, so after my first impression from the bottle, which was naturally rather closed - a mix of dark fruits, licorice and some tar (my daughter meant it to be an old tire) - I let the wine stay in the bottle. I picked the largest wine glasses we had and when poured into the glass at the dinner table, the wine really started to open up with a broader fruit basket, some flowery smell, a bit of smoke and licorice again.
But the first real mouthful was an experience, and my wife's eyes told it all
wonderful smooth, velvety, lots of fruit in the front, then on the back side very subtle tannins, interwoven in a complex structure of dark berries, exotic flowers, and some wood smoke. The finish kept on and on, and every sip offered new layers of yet undetected tastes ... it was true La-La land feeling! And what could be more fulfilling than to share these moments with your true love?
PS: Although my experience with Guigals La Turque, La Mouline and La Landonne is still limited - a Cote-Rotie of this caliber is something special you don't aim for every night -, I would trade some of my finest Bordeauxs for just a few bottles more of Guigals La-Las. The 1998 La Turque is now entering its perfect drinking age and will last at least for 10-15 years.
by THH, 2008/04/14