2003 Guigal Cote Rotie Chateau d' Ampuis

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, April 07
A wine worth filling up the trunk of the car with is the 2003 Cote Rotie Chateau d’Ampuis. This is staggering wine and as profound as most of the single vineyard Cote Roties are in some other vintages. The wine has a deep ruby/purple color and an extraordinary nose of smoky bacon fat and roasted meats, tapenade, black raspberry, cherry, and cassis. The intense aromatics are followed by equally thick, unctuous flavors with huge body, a voluptuous texture, and yet wonderful freshness, purity, and length. This is an amazing wine made from a remarkable blend of some of the best parcels in Cote Rotie – La Garde, La Clos, Grande Plantee, Pommiere, Pavillon Rouge, and Le Moulin. This wine should evolve for 20 or more years, but will never be undrinkable.   96 points