E. Guigal Cote-Rotie "Chateau d'Ampuis"

Produced from seven of the most exceptional plots of the domain, Château d’Ampuis is a classy wine with toasty aromas of black fruit. Its tannic structure and elegance contribute to its ageing potential.

Winemaker notes

Eye: Deep dark colour with mauve tints.
Nose: Spices, black fruits and delicate oak aromas. A dense, expressive and intense nose.
Palate: A tannic and racy wine. Aromas of prunes, blackberry and vanilla. Powerful, concentrated and structured palate.
Overall: A wine from a tannic and muscular vintage due to the hot climate. Solid tannins, well rounded by long oak ageing.

2018

Wine Advocate 95+: 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).

Vinous 96: 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.

Wine Enthusiast 97: A balanced nose of predominantly sweet meaty barbecue is topped with overripe plums, black olives, hoisin and black peppercorn that induces one's 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.

Wine Spectator 94: This dense, brooding red is packed with smoked meat, boysenberry, dried fig, black tea and charred cedar. Well-built and concentrated, this has formidable tannins that carry the smoky, bacony, savory finish. A complex red still approaching its prime. Drink now through 2030.