A collection of stunning older northern Rhônes puts a strong exclamation point on this night of fabulous food, wine and conversation. Guigal’s 1985 Côte-Rôtie La Landonne is thick and sweet in the glass, with plenty of power and overall intensity. Although the fruit is super-ripe and voluptuous, there isn’t quite enough richness to stand up to all the oak and tannin, which leads to a feeling of slight dryness on the finish. - VM
VM94December 2015
The 1985 Guigal Cote Rotie La Landonne was beefier, bigger and thicker than the La Turque. There was more stone, wheat, chocolate and sprinkles on top. The palate was long and thick with excellent acidity. It was more classic Cote Rotie and smacked around the La Turque. - JK
JK95December 2009
Once again the darkest, thickest, most powerful, and formidably concentrated of Guigal's single-vineyard Cote Roties, the 1985 La Landonne is also the least flattering and most intimidating. Like its two siblings, it is throwing a hefty sediment, with the inside of the bottle resembling that of a 15-year-old vintage port. The color is still a murky, inky purple. The nose offers up aromas of beef blood, vitamins (iron?), minerals, smoke, and truffles. Extremely thick, full-bodied, and massive, with noticeable tannin, this monster wine reveals no hard edges, but it does possess teeth-staining extract and power. It is a remarkable effort! Anticipated maturity: 2000-2025. Last tasted 8/96. - WA
WA100