I bought 2 bottles of Cote-Rotie, La Landonne 1978, Guigal in the mid
80s at auction, and this is the first bottle I have opened. It has been stored properly, the fill was high, and there were no cork or other issues.The wine is still very dark scarlet with nearly no age apparent at the rim. It is very intense in both bouquet and taste. It is a complex mixture of dark fruit such as dark cherries, dark plums, perhaps figs etc, has sufficient acid, and tannins are fairly soft and resolved. The balance is nearly perfect. Despite the great concentration, it is very easy to drink and the alcohol is well hidden. The body reminds me a bit of Petrus, but of course the flavor and bouquet is very different. Although fully mature, I see no need to hurry to drink the remaining bottle and likely will keep it up to 10 more years.
I have not tasted any Rhone that I would rank in quality with the best Burgundy and Bordeaux can offer - say La Tache or Latour from outstanding years. However the Cote-Rotie tasted does not lag very far behind and might be a better food match for some dishes. Unfortunately for the buyer, La Landonne has become very expensive in recent years, partly because Robert Parker often likes Guigal premium Cote-Roties very much.