2018 E. Guigal Crozes-Hermitage 750 ml

From Marcel Guigal, the man Robert Parker called “this planet’s greatest winemaker,” this is one of the Rhône’s most underrated bottles. Rhône expert Jeb Dunnuck loved the 2018 when he tasted it out of barrel, and as we can attest, it’s even better out of the bottle—and will drink beautifully for years.

Like Guigal’s top wines, it’s got power. It’s got balance. It’s got the myriad savory elements that make Northern Rhône Syrah some of the most distinctive and sought-after red wine in the world. 

While Hermitage Syrahs are known for needing some bottle age, Crozes-Hermitage shows well early, and that’s especially true of wines from the warm and dry 2018 vintage. That year brought us a ripe, plump Guigal Crozes-Hermitage that’s extremely enjoyable “right out of the gate” (as Dunnuck put it), but still boasts the complex fruit and grilled-herb notes that typify Northern Rhône Syrah. 

If the dramatic but tiny Hermitage appellation is the Grand Cru, think of Crozes as the overachieving next-door neighbor, an appellation that’s becoming known as one of the finest value sources for serious Northern Rhône Syrah. The grapes in Guigal’s bottling come from 35-year-old vines planted on low-yielding hillside vineyards heavy in limestone, clay, silt, and sandy gravel. After 18 months in oak barrels (produced at Guigal’s own cooperage) and another year in bottle, the wine delivers the quintessence of the Northern Rhône style.