Maison Guigal makes a wide range of wines in the Rhone Valley. This Cotes du Rhone bottling is one of its most affordable and widely available. Let’s try the latest vintage, 2018.

The wine is quite intense — and more so than I was expecting. Classic syrah-forward notes of turned earth and roast meats meld well with elements of blackberry and almost pruny plums, with light touches of licorice candy and a sweeter raspberry note coming to bear later in the game. The wine shows best with food, its savory notes mellowing into the richness of a meal. It’s a solid buy at this price, if you’re looking for something with more gravitas than the typical sub-$20 bottle.

B+ / $17 / guigal.com [BUY IT NOW FROM TOTAL WINE]

2018 E. Guigal Cotes du Rhone

$17

8.5

Rating

8.5/10

BUY IT NOW