Community Tasting Notes 39

• Derek Darth Taster Likes this wine: 93 points

  December 30, 2023 - Late night at Maison Dakota. Drank in Grassl Cru.
  Appearance is cloudy, pale intensity, ruby-garnet colour. Legs.
  Nose pronounced intensity, with aromas of tea leaves, licorice, dark red cherries, raspberries, very ripe strawberries, caramel. Developed.
  On the palate, dry, high acidity, medium+ alcohol (14%), super smooth resolved medium tannins, medium+ body. Medium+ flavour intensity, with flavours of very sweet red licorice, dark red cherries, raspberries, very ripe strawberries, sweet tea leaves, leaf litter earth. Long finish.
  Very good quality. Definite Rayas traits here. Becoming increasingly sweet with more air. I feel like it should be drank up soon to avoid the caramel and tea leaves notes from becoming overly dominant.

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• Michael T. Zoppo Likes this wine:

  October 10, 2022 - (Tasted next to a 1998 Rayas) Damn, Fonasalette is no joke, even next to the Grand Vin. A bit more muted nose than the Rayas, but the family resemblance is there. Showed more acidity on the palate than the Rayas.

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• BenBlu Likes this wine: 95 points

  August 12, 2021 - Enjoyed at Bibendum and this was such a great wine to go with their great food. The colour was so sexy - slightly translucent cherry - I could almost taste it while the sommelier decanted it in candle light at the table, so classy. Putting the glass on the nose it made me immediately smile - sweet, sweaty, and spicy, such a perfume. On the palate so soft, lovely sweetness, a wine you keep reaching for the next sip. I don't drink CDP in general at all (I actually find it very difficult to drink more than a small glass of) but this is of course totally different. They are making wines that transcend everything for me (grape variety, region) to surge to a level that possibly only great Burgundy does in my hear. Shame these are so difficult to find now in the secondary market but you can see why. And the mere thought that there is Pignan and Rayas supposedly above that is almost frightening. Having had a Rayas 08 I will say it is better for how much more heft it possesses. For sheer "buvabilite" and hedonistic pleasures today especially I would however think you rather drink this Fonsalette. It's in a wonderful place today, will likely be wonderful over the next decade. If you have some pull a cork and enjoy the ride. Sadly my only bottle.

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• joshabramson wrote: 93 points

  April 10, 2021 - Light to medium red, lovely red fruits, slightly bitter green on the finish. Very tasty.

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• Rezy13 Likes this wine: 93 points

  January 1, 2021 - 2020 New Year's Day Tasting $150-$250 Double Blind (Bin 75 Alpharetta, GA): Duller crimson with good clarity, browning a bit; cooked tomato, Rayas, root veggies, slight botrytis, age, mushroom, tanned leather, juicy, high acid, tea, sour cherry, tart Grenache, cranberry, touch more body, developing but in a great spot; '04 Fonsalette?

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Pro Reviews 3

Wine Definition

• Vintage 2008
• Type Red
• Producer Château Rayas
• Varietal Red Rhone Blend
• Designation Château de Fonsalette Reserve
• Vineyard n/a
• Country France
• Region Rhône
• SubRegion Southern Rhône
• Appellation Côtes du Rhône
• UPC Codes 097985139733, 4000121584713

Community Holdings

• Pending Delivery 2 (0%)
• In Cellars 350 (67%)
• Consumed 168 (32%)

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