2020 Côte-Rôtie Château d'Ampuis Guigal

On another level, the 2020 Côte Rôtie Château D'Ampuis comes from seven different single vineyards and sees the same winemaking and élevage as the famed La Las. In fact, I have no doubt it would hold its own in blind tastings with anything out there, and this is a cuvée I buy in just about every vintage. A terrific looking barrel sample with lots of red, blue, and black fruits as well as notes of spring flowers and truffles, it hits the palate with full-bodied richness, silky tannins, and a layered, incredibly satisfying mouthfeel. It has ripe tannins and great purity of fruit.

The 2020 Côte-Rôtie Château d'Ampuis wafts from the glass with loads of graphite, violet, cured meat, wood smoke, menthol and predominantly black fruits. The massive tannic structure indicates that the 2020 will be a long-distance runner and shouldn’t be touched until 2030. It closes with excellent grip on the complex finish.

A beautifully crafted Cote-Rotie for this ripe vintage that is already a delight to drink. Excellent balance of smokiness, meaty character and fine tannins, the generous oak already very well integrated. Very long finish with plenty of drive and smoky character.