E. Guigal - Cote Rotie Chateau d'Ampuis 2019
Jeb Dunnuck: 97 Points
Leading off the Côte Rôties, the 2019 Côte Rôtie Chateau D'Ampuis is always a brilliant wine, and in recent years, it's come close to rivaling the single vineyard releases. Don't believe me? Put it in a blind lineup and let me know the results. The 2019 is absolutely brilliant, and I'd put this up with the finest vintages of this cuvée to date, including the 2009, 2010, 2017, and 2018. Awesome aromatics of ripe red and black fruits, tapenade, iron, and gamey, meaty, floral notes all emerge on the nose, and this beauty hits the palate with medium to full-bodied richness, a seamless, layered mouthfeel, beautiful yet substantial tannins, and a great finish. Hide bottles for 4-6 years if you can and enjoy over the following 15-20 years. As always, the Chateau D'Ampuis comes from a mix of seven lieux-dits spread across the appellation and sees the same four years in new barrels as the single vineyards.