E. Guigal - Côte-Rôtie Château d'Ampuis 2019

Bettane & Desseauve

About the wine:

A superb nose of blueberry jelly, with the woodiness adding discreet but perfectly integrated vanilla nuances. On the palate, ripe tannins and a superb patina, this solar vintage benefits fully from 38 months of ageing, giving it a fascinating touch and juiciness.

About the domain :

Marcel and Philippe Guigal work together to run this fine family business, which since 2017 has expanded southwards into Châteauneuf-du-Pape (77 hectares owned), to be complemented in spring 2022 by the 100 hectares of Château d'Aquéria. And still the rich parcel of land in Côte Rotie, Condrieu, Saint Joseph and Hermitage. Enthusiasts can enjoy some of the valley's finest cuvées, not forgetting the brilliant Côtes-du-Rhône, in all three colors, and Tavel, Philippe's favorite cru.

Decanter

About the wine:

This wine has a powerful mineral dynamic and dense, powerful tannins. Polished oak is omnipresent, from nose to palate to finish. Dark and obscure, the structure is massive and imposing. This wine certainly has plenty of intensity and depth, but the oak dominates for now, so it needs time to integrate. Made from seven parcels of Côte Brune and Côte Blonde, it was aged for 38 months in new barrels.

Guide Hachette des vins

About the domain :

In addition to its côte-rôtie, hermitage and condrieu "treasures", Maison Guigal owns two fine parcels of saint-joseph: the lieu-dit "Saint-Joseph", which gave its name to the appellation, and the Vignes de l'Hospice planted on a steep granite hillside, already spotted by the monks of the Hospice de Tournon and with a geological formation similar to the famous colline des Bessards in hermitage.

Guide des Vins Gault & Millau

About the domain :

An emblematic figure of the Northern Rhône, Marcel Guigal is both a major wine merchant and a great owner. Under this second hat, he manages famous Côte Rôtie crus such as La Mouline, La Turque and La Landonne, not to mention La Doriane in Condrieu. A tireless worker with a tireless intellectual curiosity, he succeeded his father, Etienne. Philippe Guigal, oenologist and representative of the third generation, carries on the work in duo with his father, still based on this property-trading duality. Vinification of the northern appellations all takes place at Ampuis.

Robert Parker - Wine Advocate

About the wine:

The 2019 Côte Rôtie Château d'Ampuis is a superb example of this cuvée, which blends fruit from seven different lieux-dits (three on the Côte Blonde and four on the Côte Brune). Smoky, herbaceous and complex, with a solid base of blueberries and raspberries, it's full-bodied and concentrated, yet silky, elegant and long on the palate.

About the domain :

RVF - La Revue du Vin de France / Guide des Meilleurs Vins de France

About the domain :

The most emblematic house in the northern Rhône Valley needs no introduction. Under this name, we bring together the cuvées from our own vineyards, which we separate from our trading activities. We thus find the famous Côte-Rôtie trio: La Mouline, La Turque and La Landonne; the first two are brands, the last a registered terroir. Added to these are the Château d'Ampuis cuvée and the Condrieu La Doriane. In addition to these star crus, there's the cuvée Vignes de l'Hospice, a Saint Joseph located on a magnificent terroir, as well as a few large plots in Hermitage from which the cuvée Ex-Voto is made. Marcel Guigal is ably supported by his son Philippe, who seems to be gently inflecting the style of the wines, with ageing that seems a little less dominant. Needless to say, all these wines are made for long ageing.

Vinous A. Galloni

About the wine:

The seductive 2019 Côte-Rôtie Château d'Ampuis fires on all cylinders. Bold and fleshy, it exudes eminent notes of black cherry compote, crushed violet, pencil, cedar and licorice. Earthy, meaty nuances add further aromatic layers. The full-bodied wine of the 2019 vintage hits all the sweet spots, perfectly combining high ripeness and intensity with balanced freshness. The tight but ripe tannins will require at least four more years in bottle. After that, the 2019 will delight at least until 2040.

James Suckling

About the wine:

This wine combines the elegance and finesse for which the appellation is renowned with remarkable power. Yet the tannins are very fine and the generosity of the oak is already beautifully integrated into the mosaic of aromas. The finish is astonishingly long and complex. From seven neighboring parcels of La Mouline and La Landonne on Côte-Rotie. Cuvée composed of 93% Syrah and 7% Viognier. Aged in 100% new oak barrels for 38 months. For drinking or cellaring.

Jeb Dunnuck

About the wine:

At the top of the Côte Rôties, the 2019 Côte Rôtie Château D'Ampuis is still a brilliant wine that, in recent years, has almost rivaled wines from single vineyards. Don't believe me? Put it in a blind range and let me know the results. The 2019 is absolutely brilliant, and I'd compare it to the best vintages of this vintage to date, including the 2009, 2010, 2017 and 2018. Superb aromas of ripe red and black fruits, tapenade, iron with hints of game, meat and flowers emerge on the nose, and this beauty hits the palate with medium to full-bodied richness, a seamless, structured mouthfeel, gorgeous but substantial tannins, and a great finish. Hide the bottles for 4-6 years if you can, and enjoy them within 15-20 years. As always, Château D'Ampuis comes from a blend of seven lieux-dits spread across the appellation and spends the same four years in new barrels.