2018 Côte-Rôtie Château d'Ampuis Guigal

Lastly, the 2018 Côte Rôtie Château D'Ampuis is going to flirt with perfection and is about as classic Côte Rôtie as they come. Lots of cassis, graphite, spring flowers, vanilla, and game notes all give way to a full-bodied Côte Rôtie that’s flawlessly balanced, has silky tannins, no hard edges, and a great, great finish. This will be another stunning vintage for this wine that readers can find for a fraction of the cost of the top La Las. It’s worth the money.

Built along the lines of the 2015, the 2018 Cote Rotie Chateau d'Ampuis is full-bodied, rich, ripe and concentrated. It seems awfully easy to drink right now, yet I'm confident the underlying structure will be revealed in time. Vanilla and mocha notes accent huge fruit—a mix of blueberries and raspberries—finishing plush and long.

The very deep, smoky and spicy nose pulls you into this very concentrated, focused and elegant Cote-Rotie, with delicate notes of coconut and pomegranate adding to the very complex picture. Very long, polished finish with delicate sweetness and underplayed power. Drink or hold.

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.

Denne cuvée lagrer mere end 30 måneder på ny eg, så det er ikke chokerende, at eget maskerer en del lige nu, men nedenunder er der kaskader af sort frugt, oliven, hængt kød, røg og tjære; det bliver godt engang, dette her, men jeg ville ærlig talt vente mindst 10 år med at drikke den. 1999’eren er endnu ikke vågnet helt.