2012 Côte-Rôtie Château d'Ampuis Guigal

One parcel, next to Landonne, is vinified whole bunch (like La Landonne, the only other parcel they include stems for) which shows in the wine. Seems to have succeeded in 2012! Much more obviously Syrah than the regular bottling on the nose. Leather and limber. Very much a gymnast with more obvious freshness.

The nose has a complex array of fine-ground eastern spices, strong cardamom, fine dark chocolate and ripe black cherries and plums. There's even some licorice. It has a neatly composed and elegant feel on the palate. It really flows long, rippling with spicy flavors and a smooth, dense and creamy finish. Best from 2028 and for a decade or more.

The 2012 Côte Rôtie Château d'Ampuis is a bigger, richer wine that offers full-bodied richness and a broad, expansive style on the palate. Black raspberries, toasted spices, cured meats and licorice all emerge from this incredibly sexy, complex and nuanced Côte Rôtie, and my notes finish with "wish I could drink a glass." Enjoy bottles anytime over the coming 15 or more years.

Opaque ruby. Mineral- tinged aromas of blackberry, cherry liqueur, licorice and violet, plus an exotic Indian spice nuance. At once weighty and energetic, offering sappy black and blue fruit flavors and hints of candied flowers, smoky minerals and spicecake. Smoothly blends power and vivacity, finishing pure, spicy and long, with repeating spiciness and smooth tannins. This bottling is steadily moving closer, quality-wise, to Gilgal's La La wines, but the price has yet to reflect that.

Layers of mocha, sweet spice and leather integrate seamlessly into luscious black cherry and fig on the palate of this bold, deeply concentrated wine. It's sumptuous, with a kaleidoscope of smoky mineral complexities and a backbone that's peppery and fresh. The long finish is framed by sweet, silken tannins.