February 7, 2024 - Basically undrinkable. Hot, overripe and volatile.
November 15, 2023 - It’s been 3 years since I last drank this and it’s certainly come along in its evolution. PNP was initially reticent but came alive after over an hour. All the beautiful hawthorn and kirsch traits but quite a bit of power as well. It was my wotn in a interesting tasting of parisy, pilade, grand reserva blanc and rouge, vacqueyras and fonsalette. Tasting across the range showed how consistent and the rayas signature across the wines.
May 20, 2023 - I really loved this tonight! I drank a bottle of 07' Rayas 2 years ago and found it to be fairly ripe and heavy, lacking the elegance of the 06' and 08' that I've loved so much. With the huge recent jump in market price for Rayas, the price of the 07' was far from reflecting my personal enjoyment of the wine, so I sold all of my remaining bottles. This 07' Pignan was quite different though -- super pretty and bright, and at least for me, this is even more enjoyable than Rayas proper from this vintage. Loaded with signature Rayas fresh strawberries and beautifully aromatic! I opened and double decanted about 2 hours before dinner, and the extra bit of air was definitely helpful in bringing the wine together.
April 29, 2023 - Reynaud Tasting (Freiheit Vinothek, Ulm, Germany): Glass: Spiegelau Universal
All wines tasted blind/blind, opened a few hours before and decanted right before the tasting.
Clear, deep garnet color. Fine, elegant, Grenache driven nose.
On the palate quite elegant and balanced, but also with powerful warm, sweet red fruit. Bold, deep, quite long. 91
April 9, 2023 - Easter Sunday lunch, very nice nose with classic cdp spices & red fruit though missing the classic Rayas/Pignan floral & strawberry nose, solid palate with distinct sweet Grenache finish
April 1, 2023 - Ouvert 24 heures à l’avance, sans remettre le bouchon.
Pignan est le plus « Châteauneuf » du domaine avec son terroir de galets roulés et cette bouteille l'a démontré.
Une couleur pâle, orangée, qui le trahit souvent à l'aveugle. Le nez complexe évoque les parfums classiques du domaine, fraises des champs, garrigue et orange sanguine.
La bouche est concentrée, encore virile, poivrée et d’une gourmandise folle. L’aération douce l’a affiné, mais n’a pas réduit sa puissance aromatique. C’est concentré et profond, plein de garrigue et de petits fruits, du kirsch. Je n’irais pas jusqu’à parler de finesse, c’est quand même un solide gaillard, mais quel plaisir il donne! Il ne manque pas de fraîcheur pour un millésime si solaire.
Il y a quelque chose d’intemporel dans ce vin, authentique et résolument sudiste. Avec un filet mignon cuit à la perfection sous vide, la sauce du chef, les papilles ne savent plus où donner de la tête…(elles en ont une sans doute?)
April 1, 2023 - Cheese and herbs on the nose. Strawberries. Touch of stems. Pretty.
Cool fruit on the palate. Elegant. So much lighter and more open than the Rayas.
January 9, 2023 - (Verkostet aus der Normalflasche (75cl) im Rahmen der C9dP Probe von Peter Buser) Mittleres Granatrot. Die Nase ist expressiv und sehr "Rayas-like", ein Mix aus roten Früchten, Wiesenblüten, Erdbeermarmelade, eine Nasendroge. Im Gaumen zugänglich, fruchtbetont, süsslicher Auftakt, feinmaschiges Tannin, milde Säure, der Alkohol drängt hier etwas durch, dennoch bleibt der Wein elegant und ausgewogen, zeigt nicht die grosse Struktur, hinterlässt im Abgang wieder diese typische Erdbeeraromatik sowie Rosinen im Rückaroma. 93 vvPunkte www.vvwine.ch
January 8, 2023 - This was the remaining 2/3 of the bottle coravined from before. Took a while to open but when it did it revealed a pungent moss nose and clipped cherry with leather palate. Not as good as the big brother Rayas ‘07 but shows its own. 94/100
April 19, 2022 - Beautiful Rayas nose here with red fruit and sweet spices, farmyard funk, deep and complex. Ripe but the balance is correct on the palate, but the hot 2007 vintage cannot fully hide here, a bit too much warmth on the expense of freshness and structure is also visible here like in so many 2007 CdP. Nose 96+, palate 94.