Description
E. Guigal, “Ex-Voto” Ermitage Rouge
For those on a mission to secure the world’s most iconic labels, Guigal’s “Ex-Voto” is one of those treasures. This voluptuous Syrah is a wine of immense power; a quintessential Hermitage Rouge that shatters the Richter scale in aromatic intensity, textural richness, and ageability.
The legend of Maison E. Gugial aside, the reason for this wine’s fame is three-fold. First, the historic and hallowed hill of Hermitage has long been a paradise for profound bottlings of Syrah. Second, Guigal meticulously sources their old-vine fruit from four of the hill’s most coveted parcels. And third, they mature their high-value, high-powered juice in all-new French oak for a staggering 42 months. The result is always a strikingly opulent and powerful Grand Vin that reconfirms its deeply celebrated status. What’s more, the wines also have incredible cellar appeal, and you’ll taste that in today’s decade-old gem. This 2012 is just getting started, and if stored properly, I expect its drinking window won’t begin closing until 2040. Here’s your chance to secure one of the most coveted bottlings in the world of Syrah! Quantities are very limited.
NOTE: After this sellout, keep your eyes peeled for a second Gugial offering later today. I promise it’ll be worth the wait.
When first learning about Rhône Valley producers, two of the most venerated are Guigal and Chapoutier. Both are family-run enterprises that purchase fruit from the valley’s greatest appellations while also maintaining their own enviable collection of vineyards. Guigal is largely synonymous with the Northern Rhône, specifically Côte-Rôtie (and their legendary “La La” trio), because their founder Etienne Guigal buried his roots here in 1924 and subsequently produced an astounding 67 vintages.
Two generations have passed since then, and each has added to the empire’s fame: First, it was the acquisition of Vidal-Fleury, followed by the historic Château d’Ampuis, then Domaines Jean-Louis Grippat and de Vallouit. More recently, there have been several other property investments too, but today we’re focused on Grippat and de Vallouit in 2001. These new additions came with vine real estate on the fabled hill of Hermitage, which fulfilled a lifelong dream for the Guigals.
The Guigal family now own vines ranging from 40-90 years old in the storied lieux-dits of “Les Murets,” “L’Hermite,” “Bessards,” and “Greffieux.” Their parcels are on steep slopes with soils ranging from gravel to sandy loam to Hermitage’s classic granite. In the cellar, fermentation and routine pump-overs for today’s 2012 “Ex-Voto” occurred in temp-controlled stainless steel tanks. Then, the wine matured 42 months in new, tight-grained French barrels. In fact, starting in 2003, the Guigals launched their very own in-house cooperage so most, if not all, of the barrels used for today’s 2012 were dried, built, and toasted by their own team!
This 2012 “Ex-Voto” was just too limited and expensive for us to sample, so we’ll have to take the word of publications like Wine Advocate who called it “a big, voluptuous beauty that’s loaded with fruit and texture,” then went on to say “it will age effortlessly for 25 or more years.” Wine Spectator, too, poured on the praise with notes like “tightly focused,” “a lovely bolt of iron through the finish,” and “tons of fruit in reserve.” I suggest decanting for no less than one hour—multiple hours won’t hurt it either—and serving around 60-65 degrees in your largest Bordeaux stems. Enjoy this rare treasure now and over the next two decades.
