GuigalChâteau d´Ampuis Magnum 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 La´s, 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.

A gorgeous core of steeped raspberry, boysenberry and fig fruit gives this a showy side. A lush structure flows underneath, while long echoes of warm ganache, black tea and espresso linger. The fruit keeps this in the suave and alluring camp overall, though there´s plenty of grip for cellaring.

The 2015 Cote Rotie Chateau d´Ampuis is remarkably dense and concentrated, packed with dark fruit and rich tannins. It´s full-bodied and supple on the mid-palate, adding hints of vanilla, espresso and dried spices on the long, velvety finish. Give it another 3-4 years in the cellar, then drink it over the next two decades.

Impressively deep aromas of graphite, tar, dark plums, blackberries, chocolate, pepper and all manner of baking spices. The palate has a super rich and attractive feel with smooth tannins, saturated in blackberry and chocolate flavors. This has such dramatic depth and youthful power still.

Beef, dark chocolate, pepper, clove and black olives. Softer tannins than their Brune et Blonde, and stronger fragrance on the finish. Impeccable balance, where the oak is woven into the fruit seamlessly.