2018 Côte-Rôtie, La Landonne, E. Guigal, Rhône Chilled and blind tasting after blind

and blind tasting after blind tasting has confirmed this for me

A little liquorice kicks in to herald the graceful finish

to showcase the very best that the Hunter Valley has to offer

compact and heady with the notes of a dry vintage: sage

with a core of cherry and red currant fruit

2018 Côte-Rôtie, La Landonne, E. Guigal, Rhône Chilled and blind tasting after blindThe 2018 Cte Rtie La Landonne is a different beast, as always. Inky black hued, with a monster of a nose revealing tons of smoked black fruits, cured meats, tobacco, ground pepper, and graphite. It has an almost Pauillac like profile and is full bodied, deep, and concentrated on the palate, with building tannins, flawless balance, and a huge finish. Pure raw power, this needs at least a decade of bottle age and will be one of the longest lived wines