2003 E. Guigal Côte-Rôtie Château d'Ampuis Côte-Rôtie Rhône France Wine Tasting Note
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2003
E. Guigal Château d'Ampuis (Côte-Rôtie)
Clearly, I underestimated the aging potential of this beauty. This is still going strong. The wine opens with a smoked thyme, cherry, lavender, earthy bouquet. Soft in texture, and with good concentration, the spicy, sweet, deep, red fruits in the long finish, hit the spot. With a couple of bottles from my case remaining, I will let them rest in the cellar for a few years, before popping another. 3,524 Views Tasted Sep 25, 2018Fully mature, low in acid, in fact, it's less fresh today than the last time I recall tasting the wine. On the nose, it's all there, with its ripe fruits, earth, pepper, smoke and bacon fat, but this bottle seemed less interesting than it used to be. I would not age this for improvement. I'm planning on drinking my remaining bottles over the next few years. 3,986 Views Tasted Jul 8, 2015Kirsch, bacon fat, caramel and truffle notes lead to a sweet, voluptuous, ready to drink wine with opulent textures on the palate. The finish takes olive tapenade and pairs it with the right amount of sweet, fresh cherries. There is a hint of dust in the tannins. Like many 2003 wines, drink now, or hold it for further aging, but for not too long. 4,156 Views Tasted Oct 23, 2013 |
When to Drink Guigal Cote Rotie, Anticipated Maturity, Decanting Time
Some Guigal Cote Rotie can be enjoyed on the young side. The Brune & Blondeshould be decanted at least 1 hour or more, Guigal Ampuis 1-3 hours and the Guigal La La's can be decanted 3-4 hours when young, allowing the wines to soften and open their perfume. Older vintages might need very little decanting, just enough to remove the sediment.
Guigal Cote Rotie is usually better with 3-5 years of cellaring for the Brune & Blonde, 5-10 years of cellaring for the Guigal Ampuis, and the top 3 wines, the La La's need at least 12-15 years of cellaring. At their best, the top Cote Rotie from Guigal can evolve for 25-45 years of age, depending on the wine and the vintage.
Serving Guigal Cote Rotie with Wine, Food, Pairing Tips
Guigal is best served at 15.5 degrees Celsius, 60 degrees Fahrenheit. The cool, almost cellar temperature gives the wine more freshness and lift.
Guigal is best paired with all types of classic meat dishes, veal, pork, beef, lamb, duck, game, roast chicken, roasted braised, barbecue, and grilled dishes. Heavy dishes like Chinese or Asian dishes, hearty fish courses like tuna, salmon, mushrooms, sausage, cassoulet, tomatoes, eggplant, and pasta are perfect for Guigal Cote Rotie wines.
Condrieu, the white wine from Guigal is just right for a myriad of fish, shellfish, seafood, and raw courses like sashimi and sushi, as well as cheese.
Yes, I know the Guigal La La wines are tremendously expensive. But they offer some of the best wine-tasting experiences from any vineyard in any country! They are also in contention to win an award as the most consistently outstanding wine in the world.
In the vast majority of vintages, these wines are truly stunning. Next, consider that they are produced in incredibly small amounts, ranging from 400 to 800 cases for the entire world. Fans of these wines are lucky, as the extraordinary high quality, character, and tiny production have not really caught on with most consumers.
Frankly, these wines sell for prices that are cheap for all they offer. If you're ever going to buy expensive wine, to see what all the fuss is about, these are the wines to buy!