E. Guigal 2011 Château d’Ampuis (Côte Rôtie)

Country: France / Château d’Ampuis
Variety: Rhône-style Red Blend Rhône Valley
Winery: E. Guigal / Côte Rôtie

The essence of the appellation smokes out from the glass, offering hints of cracked pepper, bacon, clove and leather. It’s reasonably full-bodied for Côte Rôtie, with feral, smoked-meat flavors, ample spice and plenty of the concentrated plummy fruit. Tannins are silky, making this approachable now, but likely capable of aging well for at least 10–15 years.