Planning a trip next September and have a day or so in Lyon. Has anyone visited Guigal in Ampuis and would you recommend a visit?
Thanks
Tim
I visited it. Tour was lame, tasting La La’s was cool, but I think you need to know someone to do the La La tasting.
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Visited about 10yrs ago - reasonably lame overall though nice facility (no LaLa’s to taste for us) - much prefer tasting at Chapoutier and a more fun tour as well, which depending could be both the cellars/production facility as well as walking up the street to look at the vineyards… maybe I got lucky on my first visit (probably can depend on who is in the tasting room), but once they realized we were knowledgeable and crazy wine geeks as well as serious buyers they really opened up quite a few single vineyards as well as their regular fare - must have tasted 15+ wines. A tour/tasting as Jaboulet was better than Guigal as well.
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Dan and Kris,
Thanks for your input. On their web site they show pictures of their cooperage. I like the wines and thought the barrel making might be interesting, but don’t want to waste time if the visit is marginal. Too many other options, but I may check with some of the local retailers/wholesalers in town to see if they might pave the way.
Cheers
Yes and if you like the wines then you should go. Don’t expect to taste La-La’s unless you have an in. Personally I would prefer to visit Ogier, Gaillard, Cuilleron, Jamet, Villard, Jasmin (no English), Clusel-Roch, and probably a bunch of others I can’t think of now.
Visit the wine shop in the town square in Tain.
I’d also 2nd the suggestions of Gaillard and Jamet.
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I had a great time with Guigal earlier this year. Walked all over the Cote-Rotie hillside. Talked about various terroir differences in those vineyards. Disagreed wth Philippe over VdP Collines Rhoadiennes reds. Tasted LaLa 07s. Talked about the difference between large-scale negoce wines and small Domaine stuff as well as North Rhone vs. South and their business model. Visited the Chateau and the Cooperage. Came away with immense respect for what they do, if not always completely sold on some years (03) and their oak regimen in some cases. You can quibble with resullts, but not intentions. They do care immensely about quality, even for large production wines.
Went ITB with a large group and appointment. YMMV.
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That sounds great…though the YMMV may be the key if not going with an ITB group. The visits in Burgundy when I went with my retailer with the applicable importer often tagging along were remarkable.
Thanks for all the responses. Looks like I need someone ITB with me or at least paving the way.
Visited Guigal yesterday. It was one of the most underwhelming tastings I’ve ever done - felt like being ripped off in Napa.
We did their tour + Treasure tasting (65E per person). The cellar tour was fine. The tasting had 6 pours of their “best bottles” as they said…except they didn’t pour any of their actual best bottles (i.e. no La La’s or Ex Novo etc). Additionally, those 6 pours were tiny - total, it was maybe 2/3 of a glass. No revisits.
Frankly, I wish I could have my money back.
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Yes, I’ve been numerous times. It’s an amazing place to visit, though I’m not sure what you’ll taste. Cote Rotie is small so you should visit other properties as well. You need to make appointments in advance.
Stat in Lyon and make the 45 minute drive. Ampuis does not offer much to do, or many places to stay.
It does sound like Napaesque. Sorry to hear. Stark contrast to the smaller operations in/around Ampuis that I was able to visit some years ago and they were ALL welcoming, intimate and free (no costs then, but don’t know these days). Were you able to visit other Northern Rhone wineries?
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