1985 Château Rayas Châteauneuf-du-Pape Pignan Reserve

Community Tasting Notes (14) Avg Score: 93 points

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  9/20/2020 - misterstarre Likes this wine: 95 Points

  From a pristine bottle, the Pignan had plenty of spine left. This is a deft, elegant wine with lots of fruit, florals, and herbs. The nose and the palate both present pure fruit (cherries and some cooler, darker notes) with extract and a little sweetness. There's stem and underbrush all over this, and a bit of floral perfume. More subtly, there's and earthiness to it, and maybe some sandalwood. As this got air, it expressed some blood and iron. A very suave, pretty wine with plenty of life left. Overall, a delicate experience despite vibrant flavors. Beautiful. The natural sweetness of the fruit tied everything together and made the wine a balanced, unified but dynamic whole.

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  11/22/2018 - Ms. Bubblehead Likes this wine:

  Thanks to BurgNick, who very generously shared this bottle, I got to try the Pignan Reserve second time.
  The wine opened up drastically over our three hours dinner, I'm so glad I saved some to taste in the end of the dinner. Initially, the wine showed more mushroom, black olives, tar, and meaty, but over the next three hours, the wine changed a lot to more elegant red and dark purple fruits, herbs, smoked leaves, black tea, nice and round acidity, smooth tannin, very elegant Southern Rhone expression (probably the most elegant I have experienced).

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  11/21/2018 - Burgnick Likes this wine: 93 Points

  Took around an hour to open up with herbs, tea, black fruit, licorice and earth. An elegant expression of cdp which really showed more underlying substance with aeration. Good length. It takes time to open up in the glass. 93+

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  4/21/2018 - MC2 Wines Likes this wine:

  Dinner w/Brad & Maggie (Eleven Madison Park): This could easily have been my WOTN so it was sad to get such a small pour (1 bottle split among 24 ppl). The wine just kept going on and on and it was different every time I came back for a little sip. Very herbal with tea leaves and a lightness of fruit and it was just delicious.

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  2/7/2017 - jreynolds3 wrote: 94 Points

  A truly excellent example of CdP. Enjoyed at Marea along with a 2006 Rayas Blanc. The som stated that this was their last bottle of the vintage. Well-received by all.

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