2020 E. Guigal Ermitage Ex-Voto Blanc
| Type of Wine | White |
|---|---|
| Country | France |
| Region | |
| Appellation | Hermitage |
| Winery | |
| Vintage | 2020 |
| Grape | , Roussane |
| Content (Alc) | 0.75 ltr (14.5%) |
| Drink window | 2024 - 2044 |
Low Stock
Only 2 left
Description
Ermitage Ex-Voto represents the fulfillment of Marcel Guigal’s long-held dream to own vineyards on the hillside of Hermitage. Through the purchase of the de Vallouit and JL Grippat estates in 2000, Guigal acquired four exceptional parcels of vineyards on this legendary site. The 2001 vintage was the first release of this estate-bottled Hermitage red and white wine. The quality of the intense old vine fruit is quite special, but given the Guigals’ already strong work at Hermitage, they decided to only release an Ex-Voto red or white wine if the wine is absolutely exceptional and clearly superior to their appellation bottlings.
This white Hermitage is made from 90% Marsanne and 10% Roussanne. This is a true expression of finesse and complexity from the famous Hermitage appellation in the Rhône Valley. Remontage in stainless steel tanks with thermocontrol. Alcoholic fermentation/skin maceration for 4 weeks. Unique maturation period of 40 months in new barrels.
The Ex Voto Blanc has aromas of toasted grain, grilled pineapple and ripe pear. It is medium to full bodied, pleasantly generous and expansive on the palate, with an exceptionally long and structured finish.
Specifications
| Type of Wine | White |
|---|---|
| Country | France |
| Region | Rhone |
| Appellation | Hermitage |
| Icons | Icon France |
| Winery | Guigal |
| Grape | Marsanne, Roussane |
| Biological certified | No |
| Natural wine | No |
| Vegan | No |
| Vintage | 2020 |
| Drinking as of | 2024 |
| Drinking till | 2044 |
| Alcohol % | 14.5 |
| Alcohol free/low | No |
| Content | 0.75 ltr |
| Oak aging | Yes |
| Sparkling | No |
| Dessert wine | No |
| Closure | Cork |
| Parker rating | 96 |
| Vinous rating | 96 |
Professional Reviews
Parker
The Wine Advocate
RP (93-96)
Reviewed by:
Joe Czerwinski
Release Price:
NA
Drink Date:
2023 - 2045
Another strong performance for this wine, the 2020 Ermitage Ex Voto Blanc features scents of toasted grain, grilled pineapple and ripe pear. It's medium to full-bodied, nicely generous and expansive in the mouth, with an extraordinarily long and textured finish.
It was the start of the last full day of my 2021 Rhône trip when I pulled into the parking lot at Guigal around 9:30 a.m. Reminder: Always dress warmly when tasting at Guigal, because the cellars are a few degrees cooler than average! The cool temperatures help inhibit the growth of any spoilage organisms during the extended élevage these wines receive.
While the stars of the cellars are the single-vineyard wines from Côte-Rôtie, the Guigal family takes pride in all of the wines they produce, and one reliable indicator of the quality of a Southern Rhône vintage is the quality and volume produced of the négoce Côtes du Rhône, which is typically around 50% Syrah, 40% Grenache and 10% Mourvèdre. The 2018 is charming and fruit-forward, while the 2019 looks to be slightly more concentrated. The family's relationships in Gigondas go back before the elevation of that appellation to cru status in 1971, so that is another reliable southern offering from the négociant side of the business.
In the Northern Rhône, the large-scale bottlings from Condrieu and Côte-Rôtie are consistent performers and widely distributed. As they will be many consumers' introduction to these appellations, it's important they remain of high quality, vintage after vintage. The so-called La Las really require no introduction, except to mention that a new La La is being contemplated—a steep, two-hectare parcel within the Fongeant lieu-dit was vinified separately in 2019 and 2020. I was able to taste some impressive barrel samples, but as those wines will not be bottled separately, I've not scored them or added them to the database. Philippe Guigal was hopeful that the new wine—tentatively named La Renarde—would be ready to make a formal debut beginning with the 2022 vintage.
Value-oriented consumers who still want a taste of Northern Rhône Syrah will want to focus on the family's négoce bottlings from Crozes-Hermitage and Saint-Joseph. While the Crozes is normally a fruit-forward, easy-drinking wine, the 2019 version boasts a bit more concentration than usual, while the 2018 and 2019 St-Joes both deliver ripe fruit and hints of granitic austerity. The Lieu-Dit Saint-Joseph and Vignes de l'Hospice bottlings ratchet up the intensity of both oak and terroir, but prices for those are rising rapidly, as consumers have caught on to the value they represent.
As a side note, my tastings at Guigal's cellars in Ampuis included wines from the family's estate in Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Château de Nalys, but I've chosen to include those reviews in my Southern Rhône coverage, slated to appear in the next few weeks.
Published: Feb 10, 2022
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua...
Vinous
96
Drinking Window
2023 - 2038
From: Northern Rhône: Where Diversity Ignites the Senses (Mar 2024)
The 2020 Ermitage Blanc Ex-Voto cruises at the same high altitude as the 2022. Loaded with succulent citrus fruits, honeysuckle, white peach, vanilla, cedar and underlying reductive elements, the 2020 showcases spot-on balance, vivid intensity and classic Ex-Voto scope. It concludes with a saline aftertaste on the persistent finish.
- By Nicolas Greinacher on October 2023
This year's visit to Guigal brought some intriguing news. To start with, the 2022 Côte-Rôtie La Reynarde will be the inaugural vintage of the fourth “La” within the iconic Guigal line-up. Named after the stream running between Côte Blonde and Côte Brune, the grapes are sourced from a 1.6-hectare steep plot within the Fongeant lieu-dit. After new vines were first planted between 2015 and 2019, Philippe Guigal bottled a single barrel separately as of the 2019 vintage. To provide better context and understanding before tasting the inaugural 2022 La Reynarde, he poured the 2019, 2020 and 2021 vintage samples for context. Each year, a greater proportion of fruit from these fairly young vines was ready to be used in the blend. While the fragrant 2019 had me thinking of a La Mouline with a little kick, tasting the more structured and denser 2020 and 2021 stylistically placed the La Reynarde closer to La Turque. Another interesting adaptation of the Guigal wines includes a change in cooperage. “More than 20 years ago, my father Marcel and I were looking for a partner to set up our family cooperage,” Guigal explained. “In 2003, we teamed up with a renowned cooper. One of the advantages of using their methods was that they made our wines more open and accessible – a great advantage in cooler years. Given the changing climate and increasingly higher temperatures, we started to feel that another solution was needed. After trying out many options, even from Austria and Slovenia, we landed on a partnership with a high-end cooperage located in Beaune. Not only do their barrels impart less vanilla flavor to our wines, but they also prevent the wines from unnecessarily opening up. The 2020 vintage saw a mixture of cooperages, while the 2021 will be the first vintage to fully show the in-depth work we achieved with this barrel change.” What has not changed is the heavy use of new oak in Guigal’s winemaking. “We stay true to the Guigal house style,” Guigal firmly points out. Having had dozens of spectacular mature Guigal wines from the past three decades, there isn’t much to hold against that stylistic choice; with the few exceptions of less ripe vintages, Guigal wines can handle the new oak. But there’s a caveat: The reds need time. In the case of the outstanding 2022 Côte-Rôtie La Landonne, time means holding off at least until 2037 to pop the first cork. Whether or not there is a sufficient number of consumers out there willing to wait that long is a different question.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua...
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Wijnhuis
Maison E. Guigal is a winery with a great reputation. The company was founded in 1946 and is now three generations old. Founder Etienne Guigal strongly determined the current identity of this producer. Before setting up his own winery he collected his first experiences with the producer Vidal-Fleury. Marcel Guigal and his son Philippe are now in charge of the company. The latter is responsible for winemaking and thus follows in the footsteps of his grandfather, who experienced no fewer than 67 vintages.
Guigal is located in Ampuis, just 38 km south of Lyon. Here it has 60 hectares of land in the Côte-Rôtie, Condrieu, Hermitage, Crozes-Hermitage, Châteauneuf du Pape, Tavel and Gigondas appellations. The Guigals are now also the owners of Domaine de Bonserine and Vidal Fleury. Since 1995, Guigal has managed the company from the famous Château d'Ampuis. This castle dates from the 12th century and was rebuilt in the Renaissance style in the 16th century.
The wine magazine Decanter named Marcel Guigal in 2006 "Man of the year." Renowned wine guide Guide Hachette takes it one step further and calls Guigal "the best winemaker in the world." Robert Parker also has deep respect for Guigal. The top wines of this producer regularly receive the highest score of 100 points. The 'La La' wines are special. These come from the 3 top locations 'La Turque', 'La Landonne', and 'La Moulin'.
Ermitage Ex-Voto represents the fulfillment of Marcel Guigal’s long-held dream to own vineyards on the hillside of Hermitage. Through the purchase of the de Vallouit and JL Grippat estates in 2000, Guigal acquired four exceptional parcels of vineyards on this legendary site. The 2001 vintage was the first release of this estate-bottled Hermitage red and white wine. The quality of the intense old vine fruit is quite special, but given the Guigals’ already strong work at Hermitage, they decided to only release an Ex-Voto red or white wine if the wine is absolutely exceptional and clearly superior to their appellation bottlings.
This white Hermitage is made from 90% Marsanne and 10% Roussanne. This is a true expression of finesse and complexity from the famous Hermitage appellation in the Rhône Valley. Remontage in stainless steel tanks with thermocontrol. Alcoholic fermentation/skin maceration for 4 weeks. Unique maturation period of 40 months in new barrels.
The Ex Voto Blanc has aromas of toasted grain, grilled pineapple and ripe pear. It is medium to full bodied, pleasantly generous and expansive on the palate, with an exceptionally long and structured finish.
| Type of Wine | White |
|---|---|
| Country | France |
| Region | Rhone |
| Appellation | Hermitage |
| Icons | Icon France |
| Winery | Guigal |
| Grape | Marsanne, Roussane |
| Biological certified | No |
| Natural wine | No |
| Vegan | No |
| Vintage | 2020 |
| Drinking as of | 2024 |
| Drinking till | 2044 |
| Alcohol % | 14.5 |
| Alcohol free/low | No |
| Content | 0.75 ltr |
| Oak aging | Yes |
| Sparkling | No |
| Dessert wine | No |
| Closure | Cork |
| Parker rating | 96 |
| Vinous rating | 96 |
Parker
The Wine Advocate
RP (93-96)
Reviewed by:
Joe Czerwinski
Release Price:
NA
Drink Date:
2023 - 2045
Another strong performance for this wine, the 2020 Ermitage Ex Voto Blanc features scents of toasted grain, grilled pineapple and ripe pear. It's medium to full-bodied, nicely generous and expansive in the mouth, with an extraordinarily long and textured finish.
It was the start of the last full day of my 2021 Rhône trip when I pulled into the parking lot at Guigal around 9:30 a.m. Reminder: Always dress warmly when tasting at Guigal, because the cellars are a few degrees cooler than average! The cool temperatures help inhibit the growth of any spoilage organisms during the extended élevage these wines receive.
While the stars of the cellars are the single-vineyard wines from Côte-Rôtie, the Guigal family takes pride in all of the wines they produce, and one reliable indicator of the quality of a Southern Rhône vintage is the quality and volume produced of the négoce Côtes du Rhône, which is typically around 50% Syrah, 40% Grenache and 10% Mourvèdre. The 2018 is charming and fruit-forward, while the 2019 looks to be slightly more concentrated. The family's relationships in Gigondas go back before the elevation of that appellation to cru status in 1971, so that is another reliable southern offering from the négociant side of the business.
In the Northern Rhône, the large-scale bottlings from Condrieu and Côte-Rôtie are consistent performers and widely distributed. As they will be many consumers' introduction to these appellations, it's important they remain of high quality, vintage after vintage. The so-called La Las really require no introduction, except to mention that a new La La is being contemplated—a steep, two-hectare parcel within the Fongeant lieu-dit was vinified separately in 2019 and 2020. I was able to taste some impressive barrel samples, but as those wines will not be bottled separately, I've not scored them or added them to the database. Philippe Guigal was hopeful that the new wine—tentatively named La Renarde—would be ready to make a formal debut beginning with the 2022 vintage.
Value-oriented consumers who still want a taste of Northern Rhône Syrah will want to focus on the family's négoce bottlings from Crozes-Hermitage and Saint-Joseph. While the Crozes is normally a fruit-forward, easy-drinking wine, the 2019 version boasts a bit more concentration than usual, while the 2018 and 2019 St-Joes both deliver ripe fruit and hints of granitic austerity. The Lieu-Dit Saint-Joseph and Vignes de l'Hospice bottlings ratchet up the intensity of both oak and terroir, but prices for those are rising rapidly, as consumers have caught on to the value they represent.
As a side note, my tastings at Guigal's cellars in Ampuis included wines from the family's estate in Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Château de Nalys, but I've chosen to include those reviews in my Southern Rhône coverage, slated to appear in the next few weeks.
Published: Feb 10, 2022
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua...
Vinous
96
Drinking Window
2023 - 2038
From: Northern Rhône: Where Diversity Ignites the Senses (Mar 2024)
The 2020 Ermitage Blanc Ex-Voto cruises at the same high altitude as the 2022. Loaded with succulent citrus fruits, honeysuckle, white peach, vanilla, cedar and underlying reductive elements, the 2020 showcases spot-on balance, vivid intensity and classic Ex-Voto scope. It concludes with a saline aftertaste on the persistent finish.
- By Nicolas Greinacher on October 2023
This year's visit to Guigal brought some intriguing news. To start with, the 2022 Côte-Rôtie La Reynarde will be the inaugural vintage of the fourth “La” within the iconic Guigal line-up. Named after the stream running between Côte Blonde and Côte Brune, the grapes are sourced from a 1.6-hectare steep plot within the Fongeant lieu-dit. After new vines were first planted between 2015 and 2019, Philippe Guigal bottled a single barrel separately as of the 2019 vintage. To provide better context and understanding before tasting the inaugural 2022 La Reynarde, he poured the 2019, 2020 and 2021 vintage samples for context. Each year, a greater proportion of fruit from these fairly young vines was ready to be used in the blend. While the fragrant 2019 had me thinking of a La Mouline with a little kick, tasting the more structured and denser 2020 and 2021 stylistically placed the La Reynarde closer to La Turque. Another interesting adaptation of the Guigal wines includes a change in cooperage. “More than 20 years ago, my father Marcel and I were looking for a partner to set up our family cooperage,” Guigal explained. “In 2003, we teamed up with a renowned cooper. One of the advantages of using their methods was that they made our wines more open and accessible – a great advantage in cooler years. Given the changing climate and increasingly higher temperatures, we started to feel that another solution was needed. After trying out many options, even from Austria and Slovenia, we landed on a partnership with a high-end cooperage located in Beaune. Not only do their barrels impart less vanilla flavor to our wines, but they also prevent the wines from unnecessarily opening up. The 2020 vintage saw a mixture of cooperages, while the 2021 will be the first vintage to fully show the in-depth work we achieved with this barrel change.” What has not changed is the heavy use of new oak in Guigal’s winemaking. “We stay true to the Guigal house style,” Guigal firmly points out. Having had dozens of spectacular mature Guigal wines from the past three decades, there isn’t much to hold against that stylistic choice; with the few exceptions of less ripe vintages, Guigal wines can handle the new oak. But there’s a caveat: The reds need time. In the case of the outstanding 2022 Côte-Rôtie La Landonne, time means holding off at least until 2037 to pop the first cork. Whether or not there is a sufficient number of consumers out there willing to wait that long is a different question.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua...
Exclusive Content
Sign in to unlock professional wine reviews from world-renowned critics
Maison E. Guigal is a winery with a great reputation. The company was founded in 1946 and is now three generations old. Founder Etienne Guigal strongly determined the current identity of this producer. Before setting up his own winery he collected his first experiences with the producer Vidal-Fleury. Marcel Guigal and his son Philippe are now in charge of the company. The latter is responsible for winemaking and thus follows in the footsteps of his grandfather, who experienced no fewer than 67 vintages.
Guigal is located in Ampuis, just 38 km south of Lyon. Here it has 60 hectares of land in the Côte-Rôtie, Condrieu, Hermitage, Crozes-Hermitage, Châteauneuf du Pape, Tavel and Gigondas appellations. The Guigals are now also the owners of Domaine de Bonserine and Vidal Fleury. Since 1995, Guigal has managed the company from the famous Château d'Ampuis. This castle dates from the 12th century and was rebuilt in the Renaissance style in the 16th century.
The wine magazine Decanter named Marcel Guigal in 2006 "Man of the year." Renowned wine guide Guide Hachette takes it one step further and calls Guigal "the best winemaker in the world." Robert Parker also has deep respect for Guigal. The top wines of this producer regularly receive the highest score of 100 points. The 'La La' wines are special. These come from the 3 top locations 'La Turque', 'La Landonne', and 'La Moulin'.