Guigal La Landonne 2009 (750ML)

100 RP / 100 WA / 99 WS

The 2009 Cote Rotie La Landonne is a killer wine. An extravagant bouquet of black truffles, roasted meats, licorice, ground pepper, blackberries, scorched earth and camphor soars from this muscular, dense, over-the-top, serious, masculine La Landonne. Built like Arnold Schwarzenegger was two decades ago, this enormously concentrated bodybuilder of a wine should hit its prime in a decade, and last 40-50 years. This is no trivial boast as the debut vintage of La Landonne, the 1978, is just reaching full maturity at age 34. Robert Parker, Wine Advocate

Much more upfront and easy to read than the backward 2010, the 2009 Cote Rotie la Landonne is an insanely beautiful wine. Smoked meats, game, black olives, charcoal, black raspberries and pepper all literally soar from this beauty and it hits the palate with a massively concentrated, almost over-the-top decadence that's impossible to resist. Despite its wealth of fruit, it has a huge core of tannin and needs 4-5 years at a minimum. Like the 2010, it will have a half-century or more of longevity. Jeb Dunnuck, Wine Advocate

This delivers a stunningly ripe, pure, polished bolt of plum confiture, along with notes of anise, mocha, blueberry coulis, Black Forest cake and espresso. The finish sports admirable grip for this ripe-styled vintage, with a grounding rod of iron buried deeply. There's fruit and muscle now, with minerality to burn while this is cellared. Best from 2015 through 2040. 1,000 cases made. James Molesworth, Wine Spectator