Guigal, Côtes du Rhône
A balanced nose of sweet, meaty barbecue topped with overripe plums, black olives, hoisin and black peppercorn induces hunger. The palate is deep and dark, marked by the delicacy of fresh plum, black olives, fresh bacon, and rosemary. Unrelentingly enticing with rolling acidity that washes the palate.
Smoky, briary and complex, the 2018 Cote Rotie Chateau d'Ampuis spent 38 months in new oak, yet it still exudes notes of blackberries and blueberries, testament to the wine's ample concentration. It's full-bodied and rich yet silky and long, with hints of mocha and brown sugar appearing on the finish. It's another beautiful vintage of this cuvée, which combines fruit from seven different parcels (three on the Cote Blonde and four on the Cote Brune). - Joe Czerwinski
Glass-staining violet color. Expansive black and blue fruit, licorice, incense and floral qualities on the powerfully scented nose. Smooth and expansive in style, offering palate-coating cherry-vanilla, cassis and blueberry flavors that take on smoky mineral, candied violet and exotic spice accents as the wine opens up. Finishes extremely long, sappy and appealingly sweet, with steadily building tannins and resonating blue fruit, spice and floral notes. Aged for 38 months in new oak barrels. - Josh Raynolds
Deep violet color. Energetic blueberry, black raspberry, potpourri and exotic spice qualities on the extroverted nose. Juicy and energetic on the palate, offering sappy black and blue fruit, allspice, star anise and floral pastille flavors that stain the palate and deepen through the back half. Closes impressively long and sweet, with repeating blue fruit character, well-knit tannins and reverberating mineral and spice notes. - Josh Raynolds
A big step up over the 2017 Brune & Blonde (which I rated 91 points back in May 2021), Guigal's 2017 Cote Rotie Chateau d'Ampuis epitomizes the appellation, with sexy complexities of smoky bacon fat interlaced with skeins of blueberries and cherries. Full-bodied, creamy and lush in feel, finishing long and succulent, it's a terrific Cote Rotie to drink over the next 20 years. - Joe Czerwinski
Extremely dark ruby. Powerful, mineral-accented cherry and dark fruit preserve, exotic spice, licorice and incense aromas show sharp delineation and pick up hints of candied flowers and olive with aeration. Sweet, seamless and broad on the palate, offering intense boysenberry, cherry liqueur, fruitcake and floral pastille flavors that slowly tighten up on the back half. Repeats the blue fruit note on an impressively persistent, spice-tinged finish that features sneaky tannins and an appealingly sweet cola flourish. - Josh Raynolds
The 2015 Cote Rotie Chateau d'Ampuis finally approaches the lofty goals set for it by the Guigal family. It’s a bit toasty from the barrel but full-bodied, ripe and concentrated. Loaded with tannins and black raspberry fruit, it’s silky at the same time, leaving behind lingering traces of mocha and roasted meat on the long finish.
A very intense and dark-fruited syrah that has bacon fat, blackberry, mocha and a whole swathe of baking spices on offer. The palate is super-succulent, long and juicy with fine but dense, chalky tannins. Super-long, dark-plum and mocha finish. The tautness here is impressive! Long life ahead.
A very intense and dark-fruited syrah that has bacon fat, blackberry, mocha and a whole swathe of baking spices on offer. The palate is super-succulent, long and juicy with fine but dense, chalky tannins. Super-long, dark-plum and mocha finish. The tautness here is impressive! Long life ahead.
Deep bright-rimmed ruby. Sexy, highly perfumed aromas of ripe dark berries, cherry pie, olive and pungent flowers are sharpened by a suggestion of peppery spices. Supple and appealingly sweet, offering concentrated blackberry, cherry cola and violet pastille flavors and an exotic suggestion of star anise. Finishes pure, sweet and focused on the penetrating finish, showing outstanding focus and smooth tannins. - Josh Raynolds
Looking much the same as it did last year when I tasted it just after bottling, the 2014 Cote Rotie Chateau d'Ampuis is a slightly lighter-bodied version of this cuvée, which is a blend of seven lieux-dits. Hints of green olive join floral notes and crisp, red-fruited flavors in this medium to full-bodied wine that still needs another two to three years of cellaring, but it should drink well for at least a decade after that.
The final wine is a blend of seven parcels, each with separate élevage. Three cask samples were tasted. La Garde (Côte Blonde): Above La Mouline. Dense and rich. Very attractive and sappy. Pure Côte Rôtie. Lovely pure stuff if in a slightly minor key. (Scored 17 Drink 2018-30 ) La Pommière (Côte Brune): Occasionally auctioned as cask or magnums for charity as ‘Hommage a Etienne Guigal’. Next to Turque but quite Blonde-like. There is some Viognier. Almost pruney – not the freshest cask. (Scored 16 Drink 2018-32) La Viria (Côte Brune): A massive style from a 1.5-ha parcel that touches La Landonne – lots of manganese. In fact this seems rather perfumed! Good framework on the plate but rather heady and alluring on top of the muscle. The tannins build! (Scored 17+ Drink 2018-35)
Vivid ruby. Spicy red fruits, incense, violet and botanical herbs on the flamboyantly perfumed nose. Vibrant, mineral-tinged black raspberry and bitter cherry flavors show impressive depth and vivacity and a seamless texture. Juicy, precise and appealingly sweet on the youthfully tannic, incisive finish, with the berry and floral notes echoing. The blend of fruit intensity and tension here is quite suave. - Josh Raynolds
Open, voluptuous and ready to go (especially when compared to the 2010), the 2011 Cote Rotie Chateau d'Ampuis has stellar notes of cassis, vanilla bean, toasted spice and dried flowers to go with a full-bodied, sexy, seamless profile on the palate. Drink this beauty while you wait on your 2009s and 2010s. - Jeb Dunnuck
