2016 E. Guigal Côte-Rôtie La Turque

Loaded with exotic perfumes of spring flowers and ripe berries, the 2016 Cote Rotie La Turque looks more like the wine I first tasted back in 2017. Medium to full-bodied, it's exquisitely silky and elegant from start to incredibly long finish; while there is ample concentration and a fine, lacy framework of tannins to support the fruit, the tannins virtually melt away into the background, leaving behind lingering notes of salted licorice and mocha. Approachable now, it should drink well for at least two decades.

Showing beautifully, the 2016 Côte Rôtie La Turque comes from the Côte Brune (along with the La Landonne) and includes a solid chunk of co-fermented Viognier. As with all the top La Las, it spends a full four years in new French oak and is bottled with no finning or filtration. Resembling the La Landonne with its smoky, meaty style, this deep purple-hued effort is medium to full-bodied and has complex notes of black raspberry, cassis, roast coffee, camphor, and flowers, silky tannins, and a great finish. It shows the more elegant style of the vintage yet is still concentrated, with fabulous tannins and impeccable balance. It's a beautiful, classic example of this cuvée to enjoy over the coming 20-25 years.

Inky magenta. Candied cherry, blackcurrant, exotic spices, violet oil and a hint of olive on the powerfully scented nose. Velvety, seamless and alluringly sweet, offering palate-staining, mineral-laced black/blue fruit preserve, floral pastille, smoky bacon and spicecake flavors that open up steadily on the back half. Displays sharp delineation and a resonating floral note on a strikingly long finish that's framed by plush, rounded tannins.