WTN: 2005 Guigal Côte Rôtie Château d’Ampuis

[David M. Bueker]

2005 E. Guigal Côte-Rôtie Château d'Ampuis - France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côte-Rôtie (10/12/2022)
Served blind as part of an informal tasting, this was decanted about three hours prior to service. It fooled everyone. All the guesses were for a Cabernet-based wine, with most guessing mid-2010s Bordeaux, and one person going Cal Cab. The tight, dark fruit and firm tannins seemed more like Cabernet, but there was an underlying richness, so I went 2014 Bordeaux from the Margaux region. Dead wrong! Turns out we had been fooled by the exact wine in the past by the host. I suspect he will try it again.

Ha! Hermitage is probably more often confused with Cabernet/Bordeaux, but interesting that this interpretation of CR went in that direction....

[David M. Bueker]

Usually someone breaks the mold and gets close. Pretty wild that everyone thought Cabernet.

Ha! Hermitage is probably more often confused with Cabernet/Bordeaux, but interesting that this interpretation of CR went in that direction....

That's interesting because before the AOC regulations came into effect Bordeaux was often blended with syrah from the northern Rhone. The blended wine sold at a premium.

-Paul W.

Interesting note. I have that wine in the 1999 vintage - look forward to comparing that one with your experience.

[David M. Bueker]

Interesting note. I have that wine in the 1999 vintage - look forward to comparing that one with your experience.

Wasn't 1999 the very first vintage for that cuvée?

1995 was the first.