Sunday Drop-in at Cork Vault Charlotte (Guigal, Delas, Tablas Creek) (Charlotte, NC): Decanted 2 hours before sampling where it was a bit disjointed. Needed the 3rd hour of air before settling into fine form. Nose: rapidly evolving following the decant; mushrooms, ripe strawberries with a hint of caramel that blew off. Body: Full-bodied with flavorful plums and currants balanced delightfully against rustic brown leaves and red clay notes. Finish: 60+ seconds of deliciousness. A wine showing great character on the day especially against the more fully integrated and balanced 1999 Delas Frères Hermitage Les Bessards.
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Well, its definitely mature. Not sure I have ever seen a Guigal Cote Rotie of this pale a color. It actually reminds me of '02 Yarra Yering Shiraz. In a good way if you know that producers style. Just opened. We shall see if it fills in at all.
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Guigal Château d'Ampuis - complete vertical tasting of 1995-2009 (Stockholm): Medium red with slightly faded edge. Nose with blackberries, ripe strawberries, some developed notes with some leather, spice and pepper, slightly flowery. A rather elegant nose that actually gives me some Pinot Noir vibes. Palate with ripe strawberries, some dark berries, a berry-dominated and medium(+) concentrated impression, noticeably spicy with pepper, medium(+) tannins and slightly tough aftertaste. Rather fully developed, rather good balance but not as impressive as many other vintages; the tannins also come through a bit much, 89 p. For a vintage that was plagued by rain at harvest time, this is a good wine, but most other Ampuis vintages are clearly better. Intresting enough, I don't find any green notes in it, which is something I would have expected from a vintage of this character.
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Après des expériences décevantes sur le Château d'Ampuis sur les millésimes 1999, 2001 et 2003, je n'attendais pas grand chose de cette bouteille.
Erreur, elle était splendide, avec un joli fruit, une bonne concentration et un boisé bien intégré. Très belle surprise, et bravo à la famille Guigal qui a su se jouer du millésime et a réalisé là un très beau 2002.
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Medium garnet color. Aromas definitely evolved over time. Started off with lots of dark fruit - blackberry, blueberry, black cherry, and some earth and barnyard. Later it became predominantly cherry and baking spice, with some leather, tobacco and oak. On the palate, medium body, high acidity, medium tannin, long finish. With the cherry and high acidity, I might almost mistake this for a Pinot. This one takes a lot of air time to mellow out to where the acidity doesn't dominate.
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I got chocolate, butterscotch, pepper, grenache fruit, with a round fullness of a very good wine, but not all at the same time. This wine continuously evolved in nose and palate. The finish was long and plentiful. The balance was even and seemed to be fully on the mark. I thoroufhly enjoyed this wine. This wine seems to be at its peak, but may hold for several more years. If you got it, I would not wait to enjoy it.
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Bottle in great shape. Slight bicking on rim. Nose of red ripe fruit with earth and savory specs. Palette was thin (vintage perhaps) but got the syrah white pepper that I love so much. I liked this wine a lot. Decent finish.
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2nd Technical tasting course #2 (Wine Road Tel-Aviv): (blind tasting) light red with brown rim fruity, roasted meat, tannic greenery, candy, and animalic sausage aromas. full body, bitter & round medium tannin, nice acidity, fruity flavors, balanced harmony, long and fine after taste.
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Slow Ox'ed, decanted, vinituri'ed for two hours. Medium garnet with ever so slight bricking at the edge. Gorgeous nose of blue fruit, flowers, bacon fat, tar, and tapenade. On the palate, delicious blueberry, iron, medium midpalate, great supporting acidity, round tannins and a mid finish. Overall lacking a bit of structure but a nice wine that is hitting its peak.
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Dinner at home with Costas, Vassilis, Marilena and George. Decanted for about 2 hours. Garnet in color. At the beginning a bit shy nose, but it was evolved into the glasses. Scents of licorice, bitter almond, eucalyptus, smoke and black fruits. Medium to full bodied with flavors of wild cherries, burnt wood, chocolate, cinnamon, and leather. Still harsh tannins. The finish lasts about 30 sec. Very refined wine and I Think it will improve by the time. Very good work of Guigal for a difficult vintage in Rhone Valley. Paired very well with veal cooked with potatoes and spicy tomato sauce and because of this pairing it was the WOTN alongside Octavius 2001.
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11/4/2023 - Bronson Meadows Likes this wine: 86 Points
Still drinkable. surprisingly light Rhône. Some acidity. But opened up nicely to warmer leather and dark berries tones
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7/3/2022 - kevinpatrick Likes this wine: 93 Points
Sunday Drop-in at Cork Vault Charlotte (Guigal, Delas, Tablas Creek) (Charlotte, NC): Decanted 2 hours before sampling where it was a bit disjointed. Needed the 3rd hour of air before settling into fine form.
Nose: rapidly evolving following the decant; mushrooms, ripe strawberries with a hint of caramel that blew off.
Body: Full-bodied with flavorful plums and currants balanced delightfully against rustic brown leaves and red clay notes.
Finish: 60+ seconds of deliciousness.
A wine showing great character on the day especially against the more fully integrated and balanced 1999 Delas Frères Hermitage Les Bessards.
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12/16/2014 - Ben Christiansen wrote:
On day two its just darn knarly. As Bill notes "it smells old in a bad way."
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12/15/2014 - Ben Christiansen wrote:
Well, its definitely mature. Not sure I have ever seen a Guigal Cote Rotie of this pale a color. It actually reminds me of '02 Yarra Yering Shiraz. In a good way if you know that producers style. Just opened. We shall see if it fills in at all.
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10/26/2013 - Vintomas wrote: 89 Points
Guigal Château d'Ampuis - complete vertical tasting of 1995-2009 (Stockholm): Medium red with slightly faded edge. Nose with blackberries, ripe strawberries, some developed notes with some leather, spice and pepper, slightly flowery. A rather elegant nose that actually gives me some Pinot Noir vibes. Palate with ripe strawberries, some dark berries, a berry-dominated and medium(+) concentrated impression, noticeably spicy with pepper, medium(+) tannins and slightly tough aftertaste. Rather fully developed, rather good balance but not as impressive as many other vintages; the tannins also come through a bit much, 89 p.
For a vintage that was plagued by rain at harvest time, this is a good wine, but most other Ampuis vintages are clearly better. Intresting enough, I don't find any green notes in it, which is something I would have expected from a vintage of this character.
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10/20/2013 - Axone Likes this wine: 93 Points
Après des expériences décevantes sur le Château d'Ampuis sur les millésimes 1999, 2001 et 2003, je n'attendais pas grand chose de cette bouteille.
Erreur, elle était splendide, avec un joli fruit, une bonne concentration et un boisé bien intégré.
Très belle surprise, et bravo à la famille Guigal qui a su se jouer du millésime et a réalisé là un très beau 2002.
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6/24/2013 - budh wrote: 90 Points
Medium garnet color. Aromas definitely evolved over time. Started off with lots of dark fruit - blackberry, blueberry, black cherry, and some earth and barnyard. Later it became predominantly cherry and baking spice, with some leather, tobacco and oak. On the palate, medium body, high acidity, medium tannin, long finish. With the cherry and high acidity, I might almost mistake this for a Pinot. This one takes a lot of air time to mellow out to where the acidity doesn't dominate.
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6/9/2013 - up4wine wrote: 91 Points
I got chocolate, butterscotch, pepper, grenache fruit, with a round fullness of a very good wine, but not all at the same time. This wine continuously evolved in nose and palate. The finish was long and plentiful. The balance was even and seemed to be fully on the mark. I thoroufhly enjoyed this wine. This wine seems to be at its peak, but may hold for several more years. If you got it, I would not wait to enjoy it.
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9/2/2012 - Whinojb wrote: 90 Points
Bottle in great shape. Slight bicking on rim. Nose of red ripe fruit with earth and savory specs. Palette was thin (vintage perhaps) but got the syrah white pepper that I love so much. I liked this wine a lot. Decent finish.
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7/17/2011 - Yagil wrote: 85 Points
2nd Technical tasting course #5 (Wine Road Tel-Aviv): (blind tasting)
dark red-brown, lighter rim
very ripe cherries aroma
over oxidized wine - probably a bottle variation
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7/12/2011 - Gizmo2011 wrote: 93 Points
mouth still bit tannic and hursh, excellent acidity, earthy and floral
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6/26/2011 - Yagil Likes this wine: 91 Points
2nd Technical tasting course #2 (Wine Road Tel-Aviv): (blind tasting)
light red with brown rim
fruity, roasted meat, tannic greenery, candy, and animalic sausage aromas.
full body, bitter & round medium tannin, nice acidity, fruity flavors, balanced harmony, long and fine after taste.
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3/20/2010 - PhDP wrote:
Invited by Wednesday Wine Club (Shampers, London, UK): tbc
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2/12/2010 - ebrown35 wrote: 92 Points
Slow Ox'ed, decanted, vinituri'ed for two hours. Medium garnet with ever so slight bricking at the edge. Gorgeous nose of blue fruit, flowers, bacon fat, tar, and tapenade. On the palate, delicious blueberry, iron, medium midpalate, great supporting acidity, round tannins and a mid finish. Overall lacking a bit of structure but a nice wine that is hitting its peak.
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3/8/2009 - balassis wrote: 93 Points
Dinner at home with Costas, Vassilis, Marilena and George.
Decanted for about 2 hours.
Garnet in color.
At the beginning a bit shy nose, but it was evolved into the glasses.
Scents of licorice, bitter almond, eucalyptus, smoke and black fruits.
Medium to full bodied with flavors of wild cherries, burnt wood, chocolate, cinnamon, and leather. Still harsh tannins.
The finish lasts about 30 sec.
Very refined wine and I Think it will improve by the time.
Very good work of Guigal for a difficult vintage in Rhone Valley.
Paired very well with veal cooked with potatoes and spicy tomato sauce and because of this pairing it was the WOTN alongside Octavius 2001.
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