Guigal, Crozes-Hermitage (Rhône, France) 2003

($22, Ex-Cellars Wine Agency): Guigal, arguably the Rhône’s best producer, has been making stellar wines from Côte Rôtie since the 1960s. His first vintage of Crozes Hermitage was 1999, just prior to his acquiring land in that part of the Northern Rhône. His 2003 Crozes-rich, spicy yet balanced and polished-dwarfs some producers’s Hermitage. Its suppleness makes it lovely to drink now with grilled meat, but it has the requisite stuffing to evolve over the next decade. 92 Michael Apstein Sep 19, 2006