1998 E. Guigal Côte-Rôtie Château d'Ampuis

In a whole other league than the straight Côte-Rôtie, the 1998 E. Guigal Côte-Rôtie Château d'Ampuis seems to be just now entering its drinking window and has serious, complex and rich aromatics of cassis, smoked meats, bacon and minerals. This medium+ bodied wine is balanced, rich and beautifully structure, it should continue to drink well over the next 10 years.

Dark crimson. Some rather old oak but intense fruit on the nose. Smells relatively evolved. A big splash on the front palate! But drying and a little fake somehow on the back palate. No delicacy.Quite a hot finish but no shortage of impact. (JR)

The extraordinary 1998 Cote Rotie Chateau d'Ampuis is more structured, powerful, and concentrated than the 1997. My ratings for the component parts ranged from a low of 90-92 for La Grande Plantee, to a high of 94-96 for La Pommiere and Pavillon Rouge. All revealed huge colors, earthy, smoky noses with bacon fat and black currants, and various degrees of tannin. This is unquestionably a vintage for patient connoisseurs as it requires cellaring. It is dense, chewy, and muscular. This wine will be at its finest between 2007-2020. Importer: Fred Ek, Ex Cellars Wine Agencies, Solvang, CA; tel. (805) 686-9153