Part of the 2004 Reynaud Stable

Range, San Francisco
Tasted Wednesday, October 14, 2009 by drwine2001 with 437 views

Introduction

We left out the Fonsalette Syrah so that we could compare apples with apples.

Flight 1 (3 Notes)

  • 2004 Château Rayas Côtes du Rhône Château de Fonsalette Reserve

    France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Côtes du Rhône

    Moderately dark ruby. The blackest fruit of the bunch with brown spices that call to mind Mourvedre. Some lavender too. Fullest, roundest, and least typical of the vintage. Less precise than either the Pignan or Rayas, but very good nonetheless, quite Chateauneuf in spirit, and it did improve slightly over a couple of hours.

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  • 2004 Château Rayas Châteauneuf-du-Pape Pignan Reserve

    France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape

    Medium ruby. A wild nose with plenty of red fruits, but surprisingly animal tones imparted by brett, which only grew over time. In my experience, very atypical for Pignan. This stuck out like a sore thumb compared to the purity of the other 2 wines. After the Fonsalette, an ethereally light weight and all of the acidity of the vintage. Unfortunately, the beautiful fruit faded quickly, leaving a thin, acidic finish. I wonder whether this is a represenative bottle. On this night, my least favorite of this threesome.

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  • 2004 Château Rayas Châteauneuf-du-Pape Reserve

    France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape

    Distinctly redder tint. At first, very straightforward, one toned fruit that was redder than the Fonsalette but blacker than the Pignan if that makes sense (think macerated black cherries rather than strawberry and raspberry). Like the Pignan, light weight and lively, but unlikely its stablemate, this gained in texture and aromatic complexity, adding evergreen and a touch of garrigue. In the end, it had evolved into being the finest of the set. A terrific example of Rayas' intensity without weight and its ability to flesh out over time, although I doubt it will hit the heights of '90 or '95, for example.

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