E. Guigal, Cote Rotie, La Turque 2012

Similar to the La Mouline with its forward, incredibly sexy style, the 2012 Côte Rôtie La Turque (there’s 7% Viognier in the blend) offers a saturated purple color to go with meaty, smoky notes of cassis, cured meats, chocolate and roasted herbs. It’s a big mouthful of a wine, with full-bodied richness and a stacked mid-palate, but it has a seamless, weightless texture, perfectly ripe tannin and a blockbuster finish. I’d happily drink a glass today, but it should be at its finest from 2020-2046.

Made from syrah and 7% viognier, this has an intriguingly assertive yet elegant stance. it's compact, powerful and composed. Very complex, fragrant notes on the nose of orange zest, pepper, cloves and cardamom: It's all really spicy. On the palate, this is elegant and silky with plenty of fine tannin and a structure that's striking for its density. Dark-chocolate flavors are also a prominent feature. This expands vertically on the palate, even if oak ageing has mellowed this nicely all the way up to its creamy finish. A wine of clarity and purity: complex but refined. Drink 2020-2030+.

Youthful violet. Powerful, smoke- and mineral-accented black and blue fruits and incense on the explosively perfumed nose. Stains the palate with sweet blueberry, cherry, violet pastille and spicecake flavors that show superb depth as well as vivacity. Seamless and alluringly sweet; a core of juicy acidity adds lift and spine. Supple tannins build steadily on an extremely long, focused finish that leaves suave floral and Moroccan spice notes behind.