Tasting Notes
Vinous 92
The 2010 Cote-Rotie Chateau d Ampuis is very high-toned on the nose with a little more VA than I would like, aniseed and liquorice infusing the mixture of blue and black fruit. Yet the palate shows much better balance and composure, finely-knit tannins, broad-shouldered with black truffle and kirsch on the dense and impactful finish. Again, this obviously requires more time in the cellar, but there is a lot of potential as long as the aromatics can muster more composure. I speculate that there is bottle variation here? [Neal Martin, 17/03/2023]
Anticipated maturity: 2025-2045
Robert Parker 99
More closed than when I tasted it earlier this year, the 2010 Cote Rotie Chateau d’Ampuis is an incredible effort that’s made from 93% Syrah and 7% Viognier. Coming from the estate’s top sites and aged 38 months in new oak, it has no problem standing beside the top three single-vineyard releases. Creme de cassis, vanilla bean, smoked meats and licorice all flow to a full-bodied, beautifully concentrated, structured Cote Rotie that needs another 5-6 years of bottle age, but will keep for 2-3 decades. The father/son team of Marcel and Philippe Guigal continue to keep their estate at the top of the hierarchy in the Rhone Valley. All the way from their inexpensive Cotes du Rhone to their top-end Cote Roties and Hermtiage, the attention to detail and focus on quality is unmatched. Readers should also check out the recent Rhone Retrospective article I wrote that covered the Saint Joseph Vignes des Hospices, Cote Rotie Brune et Blonde, Cote Rotie Chateau d’Ampuis and Cote Rotie La Mouline cuvees going back for over a decade. I said it there, and I’ll say it again here, this estate is producing some of the most incredible and singular wines in the world. [Jeb Dunnuck, 01/12/2014]
Anticipated maturity: 2019-2035
