"Steve Naïve" wrote:

> Larry > wrote in
> :
>
> > Just bought a Cote de(du?) Rhone by E. Guigal. Someone suggested that
> > almost anything by Guigal would be a good one to try.
>
> Cotes du Rhone (with circumflexes over both 'o's). Guigal is a really
> good, solid producer and his Cotes-du-Rhone is one of the best. I think it
> is one of the best widely available wines at the price.

Sorry, Steve, but I can't agree. Guigal makes excellent Cote-Roties (if you
like the style) but his negociant offerings leave me largely unimpressed. His
CdR especially I find bland and commerical in style, especially in light of
the ongoing revolution in quality currently underway in the "lesser" communes
of the Southern Rhone Valley (e.g., Cairanne). So, while it's nothing bad,
it's nothing that gets me very excited, either, even in great years such as
'98.

I agree completely with you, however, about the size of CdRs. To Larry I can
only say that sometimes French wines are an acquired taste, but your own
palate is the final determination of "quality." If you don't like it, there
are still plenty of wines left out there to try...

Mark Lipton