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

Bettane & Desseauve

About the wine:

A superb nose of blueberry jelly; the oak adds subtle yet perfectly integrated hints of vanilla. On the palate, well-ripened tannins and a superb patina—this sun-drenched vintage fully benefits from its 38 months of aging, which lends it a fascinating texture and juiciness.

About the estate:

Marcel and Philippe Guigal jointly run the successful family business, which since 2017 has expanded significantly in the south, to Châteauneuf-du-Pape (77 hectares of estate-owned vineyards), supplemented in the spring of 2022 by the 100 hectares of Château d’Aquéria. And, as always, the rich portfolio of vineyards in Côte Rôtie, Condrieu, Saint-Joseph, and Hermitage. Wine lovers can enjoy some of the valley’s greatest vintages, not to mention the brilliant Côtes-du-Rhône in all three red, white, and rosé varieties, and Tavel, Philippe’s favorite wine.

Decanter

About the wine:

This wine possesses a powerful mineral character and dense, robust tannins. Polished oak is ever-present, from the nose through the palate to the finish. Dark and mysterious, its structure is massive and imposing. This wine certainly has great intensity and depth, but the oak currently dominates, so it needs time to integrate. Blended from seven plots in the Côte Brune and Côte Blonde, it was aged for 38 months in new barrels.

Guide Hachette des vins

About the estate:

In addition to its “treasures” in Côte-Rôtie, Hermitage, and Condrieu, the Guigal estate owns two fine vineyards in Saint-Joseph: the locality known as “Saint-Joseph,” which gave its name to the appellation, and the Vignes de l’Hospice, planted on a very steep granite hillside—a site already identified by the monks of the Hospice de Tournon—with a geological formation similar to that of the famous Bessards hill in Hermitage.

Guide des Vins Gault & Millau

About the estate:

An iconic figure of the Northern Rhône, Marcel Guigal is both a major wine merchant and a prominent winegrower. In this latter capacity, he cultivates famous vineyards in Côte Rôtie, such as La Mouline, La Turque, and La Landonne, not to mention La Doriane in Condrieu. A tireless worker with an insatiable intellectual curiosity, he succeeded his father, Etienne. Philippe Guigal, an oenologist representing the third generation, continues the family legacy alongside his father, maintaining this dual focus on estate-owned vineyards and wine trading. The winemaking for the northern appellations all takes place in Ampuis.

Robert Parker - Wine Advocate

About the wine:

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

About the estate:

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

About the estate:

The most iconic winery in the northern Rhône Valley needs no introduction. Under this label, we bring together wines from our own vineyards, which we thus distinguish from our wine merchant activities. This includes the famous Côte-Rôtie trio: La Mouline, La Turque, and La Landonne; the first two are brand names, while the last is a registered terroir. Added to these are the Château d’Ampuis cuvée, as well as the Condrieu La Doriane. In addition to these star wines, there is the Vignes de l’Hospice cuvée, a Saint-Joseph situated on a magnificent terroir, as well as several large plots in Hermitage from which the Ex-Voto cuvée is produced. Marcel Guigal is strongly supported by his son Philippe, who seems to be gently shifting the style of the wines, with aging that strikes us as slightly less dominant. Needless to say, all these wines are built for long-term aging.

Vinous

About the wine:

The alluring 2019 Château d'Ampuis Côte-Rôtie pulls out all the stops. Bold and full-bodied, it exudes prominent notes of black cherry compote, crushed violets, pencil shavings, cedar, and licorice. Earthy and meaty nuances add further layers of complexity. This full-bodied 2019 vintage hits all the right notes, perfectly balancing high ripeness and intensity with well-balanced freshness. The firm yet ripe tannins will require at least four more years in the bottle. After that, the 2019 will continue to delight well into 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 refined, and the oak’s richness is already beautifully integrated into the mosaic of aromas. The finish is astonishingly long and complex. Sourced from seven neighboring plots in La Mouline and La Landonne on the Côte-Rotie. A blend of 93% Syrah and 7% Viognier. Aged in 100% new oak barrels for 38 months. Ready to drink now or for aging.

Jeb Dunnuck

About the wine:

Among the top Côte Rôties, the 2019 Côte Rôtie Château D'Ampuis is consistently a brilliant wine that, in recent years, has almost rivaled wines from single-vineyard plots. Don’t believe me? Include it in a blind tasting and let me know the results. The 2019 is absolutely brilliant, and I’d rank it among the best vintages of this cuvée to date, including the 2009, 2010, 2017, and 2018. Superb aromas of ripe red and black fruits, tapenade, and iron, with notes of game, meat, and flowers, emerge on the nose, and this beauty strikes the palate with medium-bodied to full-bodied richness, a cohesive and structured mouthfeel, magnificent yet substantial tannins, and a long finish. Store the bottles for 4 to 6 years if you can, and enjoy them within the next 15 to 20 years. As always, Château D’Ampuis is a blend from seven specific vineyard sites across the appellation and spends the same four years in new oak barrels.