Guigal - Château d'Ampuis 2008

Bettane & Desseauve

About the wine:

With a refined texture, the vintage’s typically peppery aromas give way here to luscious red fruit, displaying a surprising smoothness for the year. Well done! The 38 months of aging have certainly paid off.

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.

Guide Hachette des vins

About the estate:

In addition to its “treasures” in Côte-Rôtie, Hermitage, and Condrieu, the Guigal estate owns two beautiful plots 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, already identified by the monks of the Hospice de Tournon and featuring a geological formation similar to that of the famous Bessards hill in Hermitage.

Guide des Vins Gault & Millau

About the wine:

An enchanting wine with a distinctive character and a generous bouquet of blackberry and prune aromas, with hints of spice and vanilla. The oak is elegant, and the palate is full-bodied and dense, with a beautiful tannic structure.

About the estate:

An iconic figure of the Northern Rhône, Marcel Guigal is both a major wine merchant and a prominent winegrower. In the 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 and representative of 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 estate:

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

About the wine:

The Château d'Ampuis (aged 38 months) exhibits greater roundness and density, even though it also finishes with vegetal notes.

About the estate:

The most iconic winery in the northern Rhône Valley needs no introduction. Under this umbrella, we bring together the wines from our own vineyards, which we thus distinguish from our wine merchant operations. 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 and 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.

Wine Spectator

Wine Enthusiast

About the wine:

Despite a challenging vintage, Guigal’s Château d’Ampuis shines brightly. Its playful nose reveals exotic notes of celery seed, crushed pepper, smoke, and berries. On the palate, the wine displays fullness and intensity without losing the silky texture that makes Côte-Rôtie so special.

Jeb Dunnuck