(As is Guffen’s habit from time to time, he pokes fun at the appellation regulations by protesting that the name of the vineyard, which is typically called a “lieu-dit”, cannot be used; he does though through a play on words as “interdit” means prohibited. All of this concerns threatened legal action from the producers’ syndicate of Côte Rôtie against anyone who uses the vineyard name of Côte Rôtie even though St. Véran is obviously a white wine. Moreover the vineyard name predates the establishment of the AOC regulations so it has been in use for decades. Guffens is not the only one affected by this as there are plenty of producers who believe that this ruling is not only wrong but an injustice.). Like the Saint-Claude, generous wood serves as a less-than-neutral backdrop for the fresh aromas of apple, pear and citrus zest. The slightly rounder and equally concentrated middle weight flavors possess a highly seductive palate feel where the lemontinged acidity keeps the balance on the impressively persistent finish. Again, this is woodier than I personally prefer but this is a high quality effort. 90/2023+