The 2017 Guigal Cote Rotie Chateau d'Ampuis is an exceptional Syrah from the Cote Rotie appellation in France's Northern Rhone region. This red wine stands out for its balance and complexity, as reflected in top-tier reviews from renowned wine critics.
Jeb Dunnuck praises this wine as "brilliant" and "as seamless and sexy as they come," awarding it a score of 97. He notes the wine's "medium to full-bodied richness" and highlights its bouquet of "black raspberries, spice box, hints of game, and spicy oak." Dunnuck emphasizes the wine's ripe, polished tannins and "beautiful purity," predicting it will be enjoyable for at least two decades.
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate also provides high praise, with Joe Czerwinski awarding it 95 points. He describes the wine as a significant improvement over its counterpart, the 2017 Brune & Blonde, and highlights its "sexy complexities of smoky bacon fat interlaced with skeins of blueberries and cherries." The review notes its "full-bodied, creamy and lush" feel, with a "long and succulent" finish.
Wine Spectator's review, also scoring it at 95, appreciates the wine's "well-steeped red and black cherry fruit" and its complex notes of "alder, sanguine, black tea, bay leaf and incense." The publication suggests that the wine has a "buried cast iron note" that provides structural integrity, making it suitable for cellaring until at least 2036.
Vinous, with a score of 96, describes the wine's "deep violet color" and its "energetic blueberry, black raspberry, potpourri and exotic spice qualities." Josh Raynolds highlights its "sappy black and blue fruit" flavors and an "impressively long and sweet" finish that features "well-knit tannins and reverberating mineral and spice notes."
In summary, the 2017 Guigal Cote Rotie Chateau d'Ampuis is a critically acclaimed wine, praised for its balance, complexity, and longevity, making it a standout choice for wine enthusiasts.
