Maison Guigal

Intense, with a serious iron spine that drives from start to finish, while the core of dark currant, bitter plum and black cherry fruit is held in reserve. The grippy and mineral-driven finish sports loads of tobacco, warm iron and dark earth notes, while displaying terrific cut and drive. A formidable wine. Best from 2020 through 2040. 1,000 cases made.
James Molesworth - winespectator.com, Nov 2016

The 2007 Cote Rotie la Turque is an elegant, seamless example of this cuvee that offers sensational notes of smoked meats, truffles, blackberries and cassis, as well as a hint of tapenade with time in the glass. It has a rich, unctuous and full-bodied profile on the palate, with sweet, sweet tannin and an utterly seamless texture that makes it go down way too easy. Drink this beauty anytime over the coming two decades or more.
Jeb Dunnuck - Wine Advocate, December 2016

Absolutely stunning! Laden with dark rich notes and more noticeable floral aromatic than Turque. The 2008 Lalas are very seductive, even at this young stage. Very approachable now, these will age for another decade.
Fine Wine Team

Very spicy nose here, with smoke and grilled meats filling the glass, followed by a fine wave of fresh violet and blackberry aromas. Rich body and moreish flavours of meats, hickory and smoked herbs all combine before an earthy, grippy finish wraps up a splendid effort. Delicious, pure and possessing great length.
Fine Wine Team

One of the top whites in the appellation, Guigal’s 2013 Saint Joseph Lieu Dit Saint Joseph Blanc comes from the pure granite soils of the namesake vineyard of the appellation and is a blend of 93% Marsanne and 7% Roussanne. It was aged in slightly less new oak in 2013 (prior vintages saw 100% new) with the goal to make it more approachable on release. Now aged 12 months in two-thirds new and one-third 2-year-old barrels, it sports a medium-gold color to go with sensational notes of crème brulee, caramelized peach, toast and almond paste, with additional minerality emerging on the palate. Full-bodied, rich and textured, it's a serious Saint Joseph Blanc that will stand toe-to-toe with some top white Hermitage. Drink it over the coming decade or more.
Jeb Dunnuck - Wine Advocate Issue#216 Dec 2014 The St Joseph lieu-dit within the greater appellation is located directly behind the ancient château of Tournon, its steeply terraced vines providing a scenic backdrop for this old Ardèche monument. The blend is weighted 95 percent Marsanne to five percent Roussanne and aged for a year in new barrels. The wine has classic Marsanne descriptors of flowers, smoke and roasted almond, happily transferred to the palate which is generously textured, finely structured and agreeably long.
Simon Field MW - Rhône Buyer

The Guigal dynasty continues to lead the way in the valley-north and south-with some lines made in huge volumes, others pitifully scarce; some at entry price points, some frighteningly expensive. Quality seems to underwrite the entire range, however, much to the credit of all concerned, and these two white wines illustrate this point brilliantly.

The vines for this outstanding St Joseph climb up behind the town of Tournon and surround its ancient castle. The blend is 95% Marsanne and 5% Roussanne, and the blend has been aged in oak for 20 months. Rich with honey and hazelnut, and luxuriant of texture, this is a full-bodied example that will accompany the ‘meatier’ end of the fish spectrum with great felicity.
Simon Field MW, BBR Buyer

The contribution of the Guigals to the reputation of the Rhône Valley should never be underestimated. Indeed, with the unpredictable genius of Messrs Chapoutier and the unpredictability full-stop of Messrs Jaboulet, the Guigals, père et fils, seem to provide a reassuring rock of certainty in the valley. The fact that they sell over six million bottles of their generic Côtes-du-Rhône is impressive indeed but should not distract us from the quality inherent in both these wines, from two of their own vineyards. 

Behind the castle at Tournon there is actually a lieu-dit also called St Joseph, so good, clearly, that they named it twice. The wine is aged in new oak and contains 93% Marsanne and 7% Roussanne. Unctuous, viscous and broadly textured the 2012 combines exotic fruits, pineapple and honeydew melon among them) with creamy oak. It will probably sulk for a couple of years before re-emerging, rich and resplendent
Simon Field MW, Rhône Wine Buyer

The influence and quiet authority of the Guigals is one of the key factors of the reputation and status of the Valley as a whole. From the micro-production of the so-called La-La Côte Rôties all the way up (or down) to the voluminous Côtes-du- Rhône the quality is impressive, sometime far more than that. Leaving aside the dubious architectural merit of their folie de grandeur, Château Ampuis, with its turreted incongruences and gilded fittings, the status of Marcel and Philippe as winemakers and ambassadors have never been in any doubt.