Côte Rôtie Château d'Ampuis, Etienne Guigal 2015

I loved the 2015 Côte Rôtie Château D'Ampuis from barrel, and this beauty does not disappoint from bottle. Coming from a handful of top sites, it’s made in the same fashion as the top La Las, seeing four years in new barrels. Deep purple-hued with a classic bouquet of black raspberries, jammy blackberries, acacia flowers, vanilla bean, and spice, it hits the palate with full-bodied richness, a rounded, expansive mid-palate, sweet tannins, and a great, great finish. Savvy readers will stock up on this beauty. Give it 3-5 years and enjoy over the following two decades or more.

The 2015 Cote Rotie Chateau d'Ampuis finally approaches the lofty goals set for it by the Guigal family. It’s a bit toasty from the barrel but full-bodied, ripe and concentrated. Loaded with tannins and black raspberry fruit, it’s silky at the same time, leaving behind lingering traces of mocha and roasted meat on the long finish.

Another absolutely off-the-charts barrel sample is the 2015 Côte Rôtie Chateau d’Ampuis, which comes from a blend of seven estate vineyards. Its inky black color is followed by profound notes of crème de cassis, toasted spices, violets and smoked meats. Full-bodied, impeccably balanced, concentrated and tannic, and yet always elegant and precise, it’s certainly a match for the three single-vineyard releases.