May 5, 2024 - A decanting was necessary for the wine to express itself as best as possible.
Great aromatic intensity on the nose, crushed strawberry, orange peel and pepper.
Heady on the palate, the wine attacks strongly, but with lovely freshness. Peony aromas and a touch of balsamic that reminds me of a Barolo. It is a rich and warm wine, with good acidity allowing the wine to be constantly revived and thus avoiding a certain fatigue. Beautiful peppery finish which requires a few more years to fully loosen.
It's excellent.
April 8, 2024 - Consistent to my last showing. Expressive nose, jumping from the glass with exuberant, raspberry and cinnamon spice aromas. The light translucent colour shows of gentle extraction and a wine that was built around fragrance not structure. A mini Rayas for a much lower price point. 93-94
April 1, 2024 - The nose here has a very strong honey component, along with some strawberry and balsamic. Fairly big at present, and this is not showing the nuance (on the nose or palate) of some of the other des Tours wines I've had of late. Perhaps that will come with time. Still, a nice wine for sure.
February 19, 2024 - dégustation chais d'oeuvre. Ouvert et servi. Très clair, un peu tuilé. Nez de fraise et griotte mûres, précis de fleur de pivoine ou rose séchées. Légère volatilité balsamique. Riche, chaud et long en bouche. Très complexe mais moyennement persistant. Beaucoup de plaisir maintenant et en début de bouche.
January 7, 2024 - A friend's b-day tasting (Washington, D.C.): Great showing. The nose just rages with spice. I'm talking black pepper, anise, curry powder, roasted red pepper, hatch chili flakes, spicy tobacco -- really cool. There's some nice dark cherry fruit underneath, too. On the palate, this is aging well, with a dusty frame and lively acidity. Mulled strawberries and cranberries, the fruit is matched with menthol, black pepper, and all sorts of Indian spices. Love the silky mouthfeel and finish.
December 9, 2023 - Decanted for 3 hours. The nose had the most pronounced honey note that I have ever smelled in a red wine. Color was very light with some bricking. Otherwise, this wine delivered everything you'd expect -- distinctly spicy and floral nose. The palate brought sweet fruit and pepper, remaining light on its feet despite its ripeness. Next time will give it more air.
December 7, 2023 - Typical Rayas nose. Expressive, with aromas of raspberry, farmyard and lots of Christmas spices, raspberry, lychee, cinnamon. Light palate similar to the 2014 Pialade, but I found this actually a better with more stuffing. Not at the level of the 2012 and 2016 but still beautiful.
November 1, 2023 - Popped and poured.
Incredible amounts of spices wafting from the glass, ranging from Indian to Turkish. This was like the grapes went on vacation to Mumbai with a layover in Istanbul.
Swirling reveals some cassis, Provençal herbs, and lots and lots of tangerine peel.
Palate is silky with lots of sweet fruit concentration. Weightless in the mouth. Definitely benefits from being served at cellar temp. Alcohol is nearly imperceptible, although it’s listed at 15%.
Can probably go another 5 years until it reaches peak.
October 31, 2023 - Yes this nose! Strawberry honey garrigue. Awesome. Palate has nice flavor but is still a touch short and has some unresolved tannins. Hopefully this will resolve with a little more time. Nose 96 palate 92.
September 5, 2023 - Drank over 3 hours for lunch after PNP, evolved slowly but certainly with air it gained more balance and poise. Delicious Candied cranberries and a long finish. Feels like more granache than a normal des tours.