Guigal continues to fashion attractive rose wines from both the Cotes du Rhone and Tavel appellations. The 1996 Tavel is extremely acidic, and I did not enjoy it as much as the crisper, fruitier Cotes du Rhone rose. Guigal is one of the cellars where the wines always taste better after they are bottled than they do from cask, although as the scores in this segment indicate, some profound wines can be found in the 1994, 1995, and 1996 vintages Chez Guigal. Guigal's impression of the 1996 vintage is that it was significantly more successful in the north than the south, but one of the characteristics in both northern and southern Rhone wines is high acidity - in both white and red wine cuvees. Importer: Classic Wines, Boston, MA; tel. (617) 731-6644