Guigal Chateau d'Ampuis Cote Rotie (1.5 Liter Magnum) 2016
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Jeb
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Robert
Parker
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Jeb Dunnuck
Moving to the top Côte Rôties, the 2016 Côte Rôtie Chateau D'Ampuis comes from a blend of top sites (7 different lieux-dits) and sees the same care and élevage as the La Las. Revealing a ruby/purple hue as well as a stunning nose of black raspberry and cassis interwoven with notes of bacon fat, spring flowers, violets, and smoked game, this beauty hits the palate with medium to full-bodied richness, a seamless texture, and gorgeous overall balance. The tannins are polished, and it has wonderful sweetness of fruit as well as considerable elegance. A classic 2016 that does everything right, it cedes very little, if anything, to the more expensive single vineyard releases. Readers that love classic Côte Rôtie should buy this by the case. Give bottles 4-5 years and enjoy over the following 15+.
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Wine Spectator
This lovely version throws off some pretty stylish aromas of incense, black tea and juniper, followed by a focused core of steeped cherry and plum fruit. Subtle mineral and savory details imbue the finish, which offers a mix of velvet and iron elements. Best from 2022 through 2038.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2016 Cote Rotie Chateau d'Ampuis remains a wonderfully harmonious, medium to full-bodied effort, possessing tremendous energy and length. Cedary notes accent red raspberries on the nose, while the streamlined palate brings hints of cherries and blueberries, and the finish adds wiry, herb-and-spice intricacies. This has gained in stature since my last barrel tasting.
Other Vintages
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Jeb
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Spectator -
Robert
Parker
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James
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Wine &
Spirits
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Robert
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Robert
Parker
The Guigal domain was founded in 1946 by Etienne Guigal in the ancient village of Ampuis, home of the wines of the Côte-Rôtie. In these vineyards that are over 2400 years old, you can still see the small terraced walls characteristic of the Roman period. Etienne Guigal arrived in this region in 1923 at the age of 14. He made wine for over 67 vintages and, at the beginning of his career, participated in the development of the Vidal-Fleury establishment.
Despite his young age, Marcel Guigal took over from his father in 1961 when the latter was victim to a brutal illness rendering him blind. Marcel's hard work and perseverance enabled the Guigals to buy out Vidal-Fleury in 1984, although the establishment retains its own identity and commercial autonomy. In 2000, the Guigals purchased the Jean-Louis Grippat estate in Saint-Joseph and Hermitage, as well as the Domaine de Vallouit in Côte-Rôtie, Hermitage, Saint-Joseph and Crozes-Hermitage.
In the cellars of the Guigal estate in Ampuis, the northern appellations of the Rhône Valley are produced and aged. These are the appellations of Côte-Rôtie, Condrieu, Hermitage, Saint-Joseph and Crozes-Hermitage. The great appellations of the Southern Rhône, Chateauneuf-du-Pape, Gigondas, Tavel and Côtes-du-Rhône, are also aged in the Ampuis cellars.
Marked by an unmistakable deep purple hue and savory aromatics, Syrah makes an intense, powerful and often age-worthy red. Native to the Northern Rhône, Syrah achieves its maximum potential in the steep village of Hermitage and plays an important component in the Red Rhône Blends of the south, adding color and structure to Grenache and Mourvèdre. Syrah is the most widely planted grape of Australia and is important in California and Washington. Sommelier Secret—Such a synergy these three create together, the Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre trio often takes on the shorthand term, “GSM.”
The cultivation of vines here began with Greek settlers who arrived in 600 BC. Its proximity to Vienne was important then and also when that city became a Roman settlement but its situation, far from the negociants of Tain, led to its decline in more modern history. However the 1990s brought with it a revival fueled by one producer, Marcel Guigal, who believed in the zone’s potential. He, along with the critic, Robert Parker, are said to be responsible for the zone’s later 20th century renaissance.
Where the Rhone River turns, there is a build up of schist rock and a remarkable angle that produces slopes to maximize the rays of the sun. Cote Rotie remains one of the steepest in viticultural France. Its varied slopes have two designations. Some are dedicated as Côte Blonde and others as Côte Brune. Syrahs coming from Côte Blonde are lighter, more floral, and ready for earlier consumption—they can also include up to 20% of the highly scented Viognier. Those from Côte Brune are more sturdy, age-worthy and are typically nearly 100% Syrah. Either way, a Cote Rotie is going to have a particularly haunting and savory perfume, expressing a more feminine side of the northern Rhone.