As stunning as the previous bottle, this gem popped with its complex aromatic profile, easily displaying its flowers, spice, citrus, herbs, cherries, and black raspberries. The wine remains fresh, almost zesty with a peppery edge to the herb, and kirsch-packed finish. This is a beauty! Drink from 2024-2032.
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It took a while, but, clearly, it was worth the wait. The nose was gorgeous with its kirsch, raspberry, garrigue, rose petal, and assorted, dried, green herbs. The palate was its equal with its vibrant, lively, earthy, red berry, cherry, strawberry, and spice character, length, balance, and energy. There is no need to wait, or decant, just pop, pour, and enjoy the thrilling ride. Drink from 2023-2030.
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A few epic bottles in July: This pours light garnet in the glass with light bricking. The nose is massively complex and mature showing a lovely profile that unfurls while tasting: sweet cedary undergrowth, brown mushroom, brine, black olive, dried lavender, animal fur, wet churned soil, peanut shell, burlap, and pickle. The palate is deep and rich, showing expansive cherry. Tannin is medium minus and acid is medium. The finish closes nicely showing some the CdP origins with elevated ripeness and alcohol poking through a tad. All in all this is a very nice Rayas, and definitely better than my previous bottle of the '88.
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Montreal 2022; 9/23/2022-9/25/2022 (Montreal): This pours light ruby in the glass with light bricking. The nose is of roasted plum, tobacco, black olive, baked cherry, burned herbs, and very ripe strawberry. The palate replays the roasted fruit profile on display here with medium minus dusty tannin and medium minus acid. The finish is somewhat clipped with an iron note turning up. Decent but I do have to admit it's just a bit of a disappointment considering the life changing experiences I've had with Rayas. If tasted blind I would call this Chateauneuf-du-Pape from a good producer in a warm year, but I'm not sure this takes me straight to Rayas.
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We drunk this side by side with the 83’. Very different character and style. 83’ had a bigger floral bouquet on the nose. This is fruitier and more feminine. Very generous Strawberry and rose petal tastes. Different yet equally enjoyable. We enjoyed this very much.
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PopnPour This is a wild medly of strawberry, raspberry, cherry and violet perfume mixed with soy, forest floor, black truffle, black tea, moss, asian spice, beef jus, blood, mushroom and iodine. So complex. Very easy to mistake this as Grand Cru Burgundy Finish is long! This is drinking really well now and well stored examples should go for another 4-6 years for sure.
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This was lovely. Very elegant, lifted, relatively linear, high acidity but in balance. This felt very ‘88 but still truly Rayas. A cerebral expression that is best drunk on its own over next few years.
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good red color with aging rim, pungent meat and cherry nose, some berry and even a hint of licorice, on the palate showing a lovely blueberry and cherry fruit with good length, a good firm structure reins in an otherwise dramatic wine, with time in glass the red fruit notes intensify, where the 2003 Rayas is a pretty face (and a very pretty one at that) this seems to have a little more intensity and grip to it despite being more subdued and classically rendered, like the Solderas tasted this evening- this one is screaming for food to accompany, a complete wine. *****, ready to drink and I would advise drinking fairly soon- within the next 10 years.
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Darker than the 1996s but with a lot more fruit than the 1984. I would not have guessed as being Rayas if tasting it blind. Earthier, dried mushrooms, black tea, and cherry on the nose. The palate is smooth and silky with a hint of the red fruit. Hard to score and taste against some great bottles. I wouldn't be surprised if this will drink better on its own.
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Grenache with Panache (New York, NY): Aaah....that lovely perfumed Rayas nose again - can't get enough of that! Had this last month alongside the '89 and '90 and this did not stand out - tonight it was one of the stars for me. That clear, translucent cherry color in the glass that is classic Rayas. In the mouth it is very pretty and red cherry fruited, herbs and black tea, perfectly balanced. Compared to the '84 there is more lively fruit. Prime drinking window now - if you have these enjoy!!
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Grenache with Panache (Friends apt): Lovely, very balanced wine. Darker red currant flavors. Again a touch of herbal and almost tea leaves. It was open in the bottle for 8 hours before serving but I was amazed at what it did in the glass. Every time I went back had changed just a little bit more. Beautiful wine and one of the favorites of the night. There was a discussion of old versus new Rayas and many who said they preferred the very young incantations, but this wine I think is a great example of what age can do (and I like it).
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The previous bottle was no good, not corked, but probably not stored well so was hopeful this bottle would be better (and even visually looked in better condition with higher fill). On open, nose was a little closed and on the palate more tertiary, spice, soft tannin... After 20 mins in the decanter, began to open up, some primary fruit of red cherries started to come out - beautiful balance of primary and tertiary flavors, tannins still super fine and holding everything together. What lingers is the length of the wine, persistent and a reminder of its class.
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Château Rayas Vertical Dinner (Rebelle): Subtle nose that gives up some cool black cherry fruit and cherry blossom. Nuanced and intriguing. Much more expression with some swirling and air. Palate is rich and textured.
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Great nose of sweet spices and bright cherries. Really fresh and clean palate. Very vibrant fruit. Nice wood spice with some good cedar notes. This wine is highly complex with plenty of secondary nuance. Great bottle.
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Rayas Rayas Rayas (Rebelle): Really not totally fair to this wine. It came on the heels of the '90 and '89 and so while this was great, it's hard to compare with the rest of the flight. The nose is a bit off, but the palette is quite nice and it's still enjoyable and pretty.
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Chateau Rayas Vertical Dinner (Rebelle, NY, NY): #14/17 - Unfortunately I have minimal notes on this one. Of this flight I would have ranked this 3rd, but I still liked it quite a lot. Hard to follow on the heels of the '90. I have a bottle of this I am planning to served in a few months, so hope to record a better impression at that point.
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Fully mature, with an exotic, kirsch, earth and wild, dark cherry profile, the wine is concentrated, slightly firm, fresh and with air, additional lush qualities emerge. I would not age this much longer. It is not going to fall apart overnight, but it is not going to improve from here either.
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This is showing way better than the previous bottle I had a few weeks ago. I was concerned because I found traces of leakage, but I did not affect the wine. Dark red color with slightly brown rim. Sour cherries, boysenberries and old leather. Medium+, red fruits on the palate with a very balanced body. Very long finish. This is showing great.
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le vin a basculé sur des arômes de très vieux vin. A la limite de la buvabilité, pas inintéressant sur le rôti de chevreuil mais loin de ce qu'on attend de cette étiquette.
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Some brown at the edges. Medium translucency. Plenty of complex smoky, leather, mushroom aroma, quite complex. Still plenty of fruit, though a touch past its prime. Still slight noticeable tannin. Medium-long aftertaste. It has stood the test of time well, but started to fade after about three hours. Our last bottle, but a treat to taste such a treasure after all these years of having it in the cellar! Ric
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Completely beautiful wine. Medium garnet color, glorious nose that started great and blossomed even more over the course of the evening. Full and pretty palate with primary flavors of chocolate and cherry (chocolate covered cherries?) with hints of white pepper and freshly cleaned leather. For a wine like this though, describing the individual flavor components doesn't do justice to the sum of the parts. Everyone at the table was moved by this wine. Did fade a bit after 3-4 hours so may not last too many more years.
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Earthy, with a touch of barnyard in the kirsch, pepper, garrigue, strawberry, cherry liqueur, spice and black cherry scented perfume. This is a semi masculine, powerful style of Rayas that can still age, if it has been well stored.
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Blackish color. Really needed some time to open up. Funky and feral nose with dark fruits and damp earth. It really blossomed in the glass though with deep earthy black fruit and a dark mineral content. A funky, earthy, raw style of Rayas that is rather distinct from say the '90 or '95 but I kinda like it. Finishes complex with lively acidity and notes of black coal and spice.
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Upon decanting wine was deep purple with no brown edges, tannic and closed. Waited 3 hours and ate with cassoulet. A perfect combination. The wine was beautifully balanced, fruity and with a good finish. An excellent wine with plenty of life left.
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First bottle corked. Second bottle had an initial funky nose, but you could simply tell that it would open up into something special. 2-3 hours later, this was simply singing. This has been a repeated pattern with every Rayas I've ever had, especially those from 1988-1990
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Consumed side by side with a 2006 Rayas. Fun to compare the same wine 18 years apart. The 1988 still had some firm tannins on opening, but when paired with tremendous bone in ribeye from Mortons, it was superb.
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Verticale du Château Rayas, en trois volets: Nez sur les raisins de Corinthe, fruits secs, terreux. Bouche évoluée, belle concentration, austère, il fait très 1988 comme à Bordeaux! Finale complexe, mais tout de même austère. 92 pts
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A stunning expression of terroir and continuity of style. Such a legacy of a wine. Beautifully aromatic and opulent red fruit bowl in the nose. Seamlessy leads to raspberry velvet in the mouth. A lengthy and soft meditation of a finish. Mouth and head filling. It's not the greatest Rayas that I've had, but it's a wine of such breeding and grace that I prefer not to score it. Decanted for an hour and it needed it.
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Gorgeous stuff. lighter in color and less dense than the 89 or 90, but, make no mistake, this is Rayas. Gorgeous kirsch up front with a purity that makes you grin.
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Wow, this was great. Ripe fruit on the nose, some spice. Very rich, smooth, great raspberry fruit. Wonderfully sweet, but well balanced. Good length. The bottle did not last long.
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Mouth searing tannins (Broadbent 9 yrs ago) still but leg of lamb brought out the fruit; unlike any other wine, gorgeous, hard to say how long fruit will last.
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Seattle Tasting Group 'End of Year Dinner' #5 (Sammamish, WA): A little out of place in a Burgundy flight, but hey, it's Rayas so why not? Wowza, nice sweet, sappy Grenache, garrigue. Gorgeous. It does seem to fall off over time, but while it was on it was lovely.
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Colorado High Country Part 1. Rayas Mini Vertical.: Our second flight was the 88 and 89. The 88 really stood up and shouted. An incredible array of fruits showed up - grapes, rasberry, cherry. Minerality and dirt mixed with the fruits. And nice perfume. A whole lot going on here. This was a perfect example of this wine!
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Opened as a backup for a badly corked 1989 Rayas. A little tight, took several hours to really show much, and still seemed to hold some in reserve. My experience with '88, '89 and '90 Rayas is that they need a long time in the decanter. Eventually, some pure strawberry/raspberry and kirschy notes marked it as Rayas near its best. Will never reach the peaks that the '89 and '90 can, but still a great bottle of wine. Drink over the next 3-5 years.
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Dinner in Canberra (Canberra, Australia): A nose of olives, leather, nail polish, roast vegetables, sizzling bacon fat and burnt toast. To be honest, my description of the nose doesn't accurately describe just how terrible it was. The palate was drinkable but stripped of any likeable characters - thin and acidic. I left a half glass for a number of hours, trying to coax something to like out of this, but in the end had to give up the cause as hopeless. 80/100 if scoring.
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Penetrating but not vivacious nose of wintergreen, anise, some meaty aromas, garrigue, with beautiful herbal notes (taragon, sage, chives?). Truly elegant mouthfeel. There is lovely fruit presence but not exceptionally ripe. The balance of ripe yet firm tannins and fresh clean acidity provide a feel that is neither austere nor opulent but that wonderful middleground of understated wealth. Classic grenache flavors, some candied fruit and kirsch and that anise again. Long and fresh finish. Gorgeous Chateauneuf.
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1990 and older Châteauneuf-du-Pape offline at Kaspar's (Seattle, WA): Very cloudy in the glass. The nose greets you with a Southern Rhône pile of herbs and spices as well as lightly oxidized notes of soy sauce. With air white pepper, ash and mineral come to the fore, mmm. The palate explodes with black-licorice/aniseed, black olives. This is silky smooth and enveloping, so suave and yet so explosive as it gets more air. Fantastic wine!
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Casual Southern-Rhône tasting: Medium purple-red core fading to wide, ruby rim. Notes of wild strawberries, sloes & damsons on the nose with hints of liquorice & a slight dusty edge. Medium+ intensity palate, smooth tannins and a slightly sweet touch of raspberry and marshmallows. Long, but slightly drying finish. Not at all brash, quite refined wine with a nice purity of fruit. Drinking well now, although it has some life left in it.
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$125 retail. Last tasted in Sept., 2001. I was expecting more evolution to have taken place over the last three years, and, although now quite enjoyable and impressive, I couldn't help feeling that this wine might still holding something back... Aromas of sweet red cherry, licorice, tea leaves; a little more wet leaf / sous-bois has developed in the last three years; a note of mineral / metal. Not at all a heavy wine - though it does have a firmness / tension about it, which might crack a bit more with time, unleashing an extra bump of aromatic intensity and a more velvety mouthfeel... Over the course of about three hours several more layers unfolded on both the nose and palate, which also softened slightly. I think this is an excellent wine, showing far better than the 1990 did a week ago (see TN). Still, I would say that this wine could be even better in a year or two, depending on storage, of course.
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Tasted at Singer & Foy survey of new Rhones. Very good ruby color. Lovely, sweet fruit in the nose. Beautiful flowers. Extremely complex, with just layers and layers of fruit. In the mouth, it has really nice raspberry fruit. Medium body. Peppery. Very fine. 5-13-16-8: 92/100.
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With Michael Lehmann and Brett Raven at Singer & Foy survey of new Rhones. Nice ruby purple. Aromatic, fruity nose. Forthcoming. In the mouth, this wine is massive, rich, majestic. Mouthfilling! A really big wine – – and truly "great." Quite rich. Pepper. Wow! Impressive. Great stuff. Best Rayas I've tasted. Body defines this wine. 5-11-18-9: 93/100.
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3/22/2024 - Jeff Leve wrote: 97 Points
As stunning as the previous bottle, this gem popped with its complex aromatic profile, easily displaying its flowers, spice, citrus, herbs, cherries, and black raspberries. The wine remains fresh, almost zesty with a peppery edge to the herb, and kirsch-packed finish. This is a beauty! Drink from 2024-2032.
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9/25/2023 - Jeff Leve wrote: 97 Points
It took a while, but, clearly, it was worth the wait. The nose was gorgeous with its kirsch, raspberry, garrigue, rose petal, and assorted, dried, green herbs. The palate was its equal with its vibrant, lively, earthy, red berry, cherry, strawberry, and spice character, length, balance, and energy. There is no need to wait, or decant, just pop, pour, and enjoy the thrilling ride. Drink from 2023-2030.
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7/26/2023 - Wine Canuck wrote: 95 Points
A few epic bottles in July: This pours light garnet in the glass with light bricking. The nose is massively complex and mature showing a lovely profile that unfurls while tasting: sweet cedary undergrowth, brown mushroom, brine, black olive, dried lavender, animal fur, wet churned soil, peanut shell, burlap, and pickle. The palate is deep and rich, showing expansive cherry. Tannin is medium minus and acid is medium. The finish closes nicely showing some the CdP origins with elevated ripeness and alcohol poking through a tad. All in all this is a very nice Rayas, and definitely better than my previous bottle of the '88.
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9/23/2022 - Wine Canuck wrote: 93 Points
Montreal 2022; 9/23/2022-9/25/2022 (Montreal): This pours light ruby in the glass with light bricking. The nose is of roasted plum, tobacco, black olive, baked cherry, burned herbs, and very ripe strawberry. The palate replays the roasted fruit profile on display here with medium minus dusty tannin and medium minus acid. The finish is somewhat clipped with an iron note turning up. Decent but I do have to admit it's just a bit of a disappointment considering the life changing experiences I've had with Rayas. If tasted blind I would call this Chateauneuf-du-Pape from a good producer in a warm year, but I'm not sure this takes me straight to Rayas.
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12/7/2021 - AValdes Likes this wine: 95 Points
Just a great bottle. Beautifully performed. All integrated. No funk or imbalance. Just delicious.
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2/9/2021 - Wambaw Likes this wine: 96 Points
Tasted by six people here at the house and was fully mature as well as delicious.
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2/8/2021 - convex Likes this wine: 98 Points
We drunk this side by side with the 83’. Very different character and style. 83’ had a bigger floral bouquet on the nose. This is fruitier and more feminine. Very generous Strawberry and rose petal tastes. Different yet equally enjoyable. We enjoyed this very much.
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12/20/2020 - Dave Canada wrote: 96 Points
PopnPour
This is a wild medly of strawberry, raspberry, cherry and violet perfume mixed with soy, forest floor, black truffle, black tea, moss, asian spice, beef jus, blood, mushroom and iodine. So complex.
Very easy to mistake this as Grand Cru Burgundy
Finish is long!
This is drinking really well now and well stored examples should go for another 4-6 years for sure.
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10/23/2019 - LW31 Likes this wine:
This was lovely. Very elegant, lifted, relatively linear, high acidity but in balance. This felt very ‘88 but still truly Rayas. A cerebral expression that is best drunk on its own over next few years.
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5/25/2019 - tinybubbles wrote: 92 Points
Came off as ripe and jammy, with everything else subdued. Quality fruit but won't be truly interesting until more complexity develops.
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10/12/2018 - Elpaninaro Likes this wine:
good red color with aging rim, pungent meat and cherry nose, some berry and even a hint of licorice, on the palate showing a lovely blueberry and cherry fruit with good length, a good firm structure reins in an otherwise dramatic wine, with time in glass the red fruit notes intensify, where the 2003 Rayas is a pretty face (and a very pretty one at that) this seems to have a little more intensity and grip to it despite being more subdued and classically rendered, like the Solderas tasted this evening- this one is screaming for food to accompany, a complete wine. *****, ready to drink and I would advise drinking fairly soon- within the next 10 years.
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12/1/2017 - DoubleD1969 wrote: 91 Points
Darker than the 1996s but with a lot more fruit than the 1984. I would not have guessed as being Rayas if tasting it blind. Earthier, dried mushrooms, black tea, and cherry on the nose. The palate is smooth and silky with a hint of the red fruit. Hard to score and taste against some great bottles. I wouldn't be surprised if this will drink better on its own.
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12/1/2017 - retired_and_roving Likes this wine:
Grenache with Panache (New York, NY): Aaah....that lovely perfumed Rayas nose again - can't get enough of that! Had this last month alongside the '89 and '90 and this did not stand out - tonight it was one of the stars for me. That clear, translucent cherry color in the glass that is classic Rayas. In the mouth it is very pretty and red cherry fruited, herbs and black tea, perfectly balanced. Compared to the '84 there is more lively fruit. Prime drinking window now - if you have these enjoy!!
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12/1/2017 - MC2 Wines Likes this wine:
Grenache with Panache (Friends apt): Lovely, very balanced wine. Darker red currant flavors. Again a touch of herbal and almost tea leaves. It was open in the bottle for 8 hours before serving but I was amazed at what it did in the glass. Every time I went back had changed just a little bit more. Beautiful wine and one of the favorites of the night. There was a discussion of old versus new Rayas and many who said they preferred the very young incantations, but this wine I think is a great example of what age can do (and I like it).
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11/11/2017 - TheThirstyYau Likes this wine: 93 Points
The previous bottle was no good, not corked, but probably not stored well so was hopeful this bottle would be better (and even visually looked in better condition with higher fill). On open, nose was a little closed and on the palate more tertiary, spice, soft tannin... After 20 mins in the decanter, began to open up, some primary fruit of red cherries started to come out - beautiful balance of primary and tertiary flavors, tannins still super fine and holding everything together. What lingers is the length of the wine, persistent and a reminder of its class.
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10/26/2017 - cnichol8 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Red fruit, graphite, nose.
Soft tannin. Balanced acid.
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10/13/2017 - The Vines That Bind wrote: 92 Points
Château Rayas Vertical Dinner (Rebelle): Subtle nose that gives up some cool black cherry fruit and cherry blossom. Nuanced and intriguing. Much more expression with some swirling and air. Palate is rich and textured.
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10/13/2017 - Kemo Sabe wrote: 94 Points
Great nose of sweet spices and bright cherries. Really fresh and clean palate. Very vibrant fruit. Nice wood spice with some good cedar notes. This wine is highly complex with plenty of secondary nuance. Great bottle.
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10/12/2017 - MC2 Wines Likes this wine:
Rayas Rayas Rayas (Rebelle): Really not totally fair to this wine. It came on the heels of the '90 and '89 and so while this was great, it's hard to compare with the rest of the flight. The nose is a bit off, but the palette is quite nice and it's still enjoyable and pretty.
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10/12/2017 - retired_and_roving Likes this wine:
Chateau Rayas Vertical Dinner (Rebelle, NY, NY): #14/17 - Unfortunately I have minimal notes on this one. Of this flight I would have ranked this 3rd, but I still liked it quite a lot. Hard to follow on the heels of the '90. I have a bottle of this I am planning to served in a few months, so hope to record a better impression at that point.
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9/3/2017 - tinybubbles Likes this wine: 93 Points
Somewhat more muddled and subdued than the best bottles. Darker red fruit, soil and dry leaves, and fainter spice than this wine can offer at times
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3/5/2017 - Kemo Sabe wrote: flawed
Sadly, corked. Bummer......
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9/30/2016 - tinybubbles Likes this wine: 95 Points
Black cherry abounds with dark sweet spice, black truffle, soil notes and light smoke. Great bottle
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8/31/2016 - Jeff Leve wrote: 96 Points
Fully mature, with an exotic, kirsch, earth and wild, dark cherry profile, the wine is concentrated, slightly firm, fresh and with air, additional lush qualities emerge. I would not age this much longer. It is not going to fall apart overnight, but it is not going to improve from here either.
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3/13/2016 - jfpwine Likes this wine: 95 Points
This is showing way better than the previous bottle I had a few weeks ago. I was concerned because I found traces of leakage, but I did not affect the wine. Dark red color with slightly brown rim. Sour cherries, boysenberries and old leather. Medium+, red fruits on the palate with a very balanced body. Very long finish. This is showing great.
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1/1/2015 - Axone wrote: flawed
Bouteille décevante,
le vin a basculé sur des arômes de très vieux vin.
A la limite de la buvabilité, pas inintéressant sur le rôti de chevreuil mais loin de ce qu'on attend de cette étiquette.
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7/26/2014 - Ex-Ray Likes this wine: 94 Points
Some brown at the edges. Medium translucency. Plenty of complex smoky, leather, mushroom aroma, quite complex. Still plenty of fruit, though a touch past its prime. Still slight noticeable tannin. Medium-long aftertaste. It has stood the test of time well, but started to fade after about three hours. Our last bottle, but a treat to taste such a treasure after all these years of having it in the cellar!
Ric
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1/12/2014 - Topper wrote: 96 Points
Completely beautiful wine. Medium garnet color, glorious nose that started great and blossomed even more over the course of the evening. Full and pretty palate with primary flavors of chocolate and cherry (chocolate covered cherries?) with hints of white pepper and freshly cleaned leather. For a wine like this though, describing the individual flavor components doesn't do justice to the sum of the parts. Everyone at the table was moved by this wine. Did fade a bit after 3-4 hours so may not last too many more years.
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9/28/2013 - E.E. Likes this wine: 94 Points
來自純砂土和獨特微氣候的Grenache造就了Rayas的與眾CNdP不同,香氣芬芳縹緲,花香和紅果容易讓人聯想到PN。25年依然保持了新鮮度,這無疑是一支很不錯的酒,如果沒有對比,它會顯得更加獨特和優秀。
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6/4/2013 - Jeff Leve wrote: 95 Points
Earthy, with a touch of barnyard in the kirsch, pepper, garrigue, strawberry, cherry liqueur, spice and black cherry scented perfume. This is a semi masculine, powerful style of Rayas that can still age, if it has been well stored.
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4/27/2012 - Lord Rayas wrote: 94 Points
MNSC (The Principal): an old school Rayas that's rich and earthy, with lovely exotic aromas.
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1/25/2012 - dream wrote: 93 Points
Blackish color. Really needed some time to open up. Funky and feral nose with dark fruits and damp earth. It really blossomed in the glass though with deep earthy black fruit and a dark mineral content. A funky, earthy, raw style of Rayas that is rather distinct from say the '90 or '95 but I kinda like it. Finishes complex with lively acidity and notes of black coal and spice.
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1/1/2012 - adanacsim wrote: 97 Points
Upon decanting wine was deep purple with no brown edges, tannic and closed. Waited 3 hours and ate with cassoulet. A perfect combination. The wine was beautifully balanced, fruity and with a good finish. An excellent wine with plenty of life left.
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10/7/2011 - Chuck Miller wrote:
First bottle corked. Second bottle had an initial funky nose, but you could simply tell that it would open up into something special. 2-3 hours later, this was simply singing. This has been a repeated pattern with every Rayas I've ever had, especially those from 1988-1990
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7/3/2011 - winecowboy wrote: 93 Points
Exotic fruits and kirsch ostensibly showing. Medium body but finish is slightly dry. Very enjoyable drinking now.
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5/6/2011 - Chuck Miller wrote:
Consumed side by side with a 2006 Rayas. Fun to compare the same wine 18 years apart. The 1988 still had some firm tannins on opening, but when paired with tremendous bone in ribeye from Mortons, it was superb.
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12/22/2010 - bristol411 wrote: 95 Points
Rich and ripe, lovely sweetness, precise and smooth. Long finish, delicious.
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7/31/2010 - d'Artagnan wrote: 92 Points
Verticale du Château Rayas, en trois volets: Nez sur les raisins de Corinthe, fruits secs, terreux. Bouche évoluée, belle concentration, austère, il fait très 1988 comme à Bordeaux!
Finale complexe, mais tout de même austère. 92 pts
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6/13/2010 - Winemusic wrote:
A stunning expression of terroir and continuity of style. Such a legacy of a wine.
Beautifully aromatic and opulent red fruit bowl in the nose. Seamlessy leads to raspberry velvet in the mouth. A lengthy and soft meditation of a finish.
Mouth and head filling. It's not the greatest Rayas that I've had, but it's a wine of such breeding and grace that I prefer not to score it.
Decanted for an hour and it needed it.
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5/15/2010 - Milhous wrote:
Gorgeous stuff. lighter in color and less dense than the 89 or 90, but, make no mistake, this is Rayas. Gorgeous kirsch up front with a purity that makes you grin.
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11/14/2009 - Samantha wrote: 96 Points
Really elegant, feminine, great texture and aromatics. Showing all of those Burgundian qualities, and well structured. Need to find more...
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8/18/2009 - bristol411 wrote: 94 Points
Wow, this was great. Ripe fruit on the nose, some spice. Very rich, smooth, great raspberry fruit. Wonderfully sweet, but well balanced. Good length. The bottle did not last long.
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5/12/2009 - lastone wrote: 95 Points
Mouth searing tannins (Broadbent 9 yrs ago) still but leg of lamb brought out the fruit; unlike any other wine, gorgeous, hard to say how long fruit will last.
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3/15/2008 - Eric wrote:
Seattle Tasting Group 'End of Year Dinner' #5 (Sammamish, WA): A little out of place in a Burgundy flight, but hey, it's Rayas so why not? Wowza, nice sweet, sappy Grenache, garrigue. Gorgeous. It does seem to fall off over time, but while it was on it was lovely.
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6/9/2006 - BradE wrote:
Colorado High Country Part 1. Rayas Mini Vertical.: Our second flight was the 88 and 89. The 88 really stood up and shouted. An incredible array of fruits showed up - grapes, rasberry, cherry. Minerality and dirt mixed with the fruits. And nice perfume. A whole lot going on here. This was a perfect example of this wine!
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5/29/2006 - Chuck Miller wrote: 94 Points
Opened as a backup for a badly corked 1989 Rayas. A little tight, took several hours to really show much, and still seemed to hold some in reserve. My experience with '88, '89 and '90 Rayas is that they need a long time in the decanter. Eventually, some pure strawberry/raspberry and kirschy notes marked it as Rayas near its best. Will never reach the peaks that the '89 and '90 can, but still a great bottle of wine. Drink over the next 3-5 years.
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3/11/2006 - CamWheeler wrote: flawed
Dinner in Canberra (Canberra, Australia): A nose of olives, leather, nail polish, roast vegetables, sizzling bacon fat and burnt toast. To be honest, my description of the nose doesn't accurately describe just how terrible it was. The palate was drinkable but stripped of any likeable characters - thin and acidic. I left a half glass for a number of hours, trying to coax something to like out of this, but in the end had to give up the cause as hopeless. 80/100 if scoring.
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9/30/2005 - antiwood wrote:
Penetrating but not vivacious nose of wintergreen, anise, some meaty aromas, garrigue, with beautiful herbal notes (taragon, sage, chives?). Truly elegant mouthfeel. There is lovely fruit presence but not exceptionally ripe. The balance of ripe yet firm tannins and fresh clean acidity provide a feel that is neither austere nor opulent but that wonderful middleground of understated wealth. Classic grenache flavors, some candied fruit and kirsch and that anise again. Long and fresh finish. Gorgeous Chateauneuf.
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4/30/2005 - Eric wrote: 94 Points
1990 and older Châteauneuf-du-Pape offline at Kaspar's (Seattle, WA): Very cloudy in the glass. The nose greets you with a Southern Rhône pile of herbs and spices as well as lightly oxidized notes of soy sauce. With air white pepper, ash and mineral come to the fore, mmm. The palate explodes with black-licorice/aniseed, black olives. This is silky smooth and enveloping, so suave and yet so explosive as it gets more air. Fantastic wine!
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4/30/2005 - DFC wrote: 94 Points
Seattle Does Pre-'90 Chateauneuf (Kaspar's, Seattle, WA): Barnyard and garrigue on the nose. Sweet black cherries on the palate. Beautifully balanced with silky soft tannins...drinking wonderfully right now.
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4/30/2005 - Tubbs wrote: 96 Points
Seattle Pre-1990 CdP offline (Kaspar's - 19 West Harrison, Seattle WA 98119): Beautiful balance, nice acidity. Wonderful candied cherries. Elegant and refined… port like. Sublime.
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3/9/2005 - IanL wrote: 92 Points
Casual Southern-Rhône tasting: Medium purple-red core fading to wide, ruby rim. Notes of wild strawberries, sloes & damsons on the nose with hints of liquorice & a slight dusty edge. Medium+ intensity palate, smooth tannins and a slightly sweet touch of raspberry and marshmallows. Long, but slightly drying finish. Not at all brash, quite refined wine with a nice purity of fruit. Drinking well now, although it has some life left in it.
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8/28/2004 - Ben Andersen wrote:
$125 retail. Last tasted in Sept., 2001. I was expecting more evolution to have taken place over the last three years, and, although now quite enjoyable and impressive, I couldn't help feeling that this wine might still holding something back... Aromas of sweet red cherry, licorice, tea leaves; a little more wet leaf / sous-bois has developed in the last three years; a note of mineral / metal. Not at all a heavy wine - though it does have a firmness / tension about it, which might crack a bit more with time, unleashing an extra bump of aromatic intensity and a more velvety mouthfeel... Over the course of about three hours several more layers unfolded on both the nose and palate, which also softened slightly. I think this is an excellent wine, showing far better than the 1990 did a week ago (see TN). Still, I would say that this wine could be even better in a year or two, depending on storage, of course.
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4/20/2004 - rjonwine@gmail.com wrote: 94 Points
Forest floor, truffle, mushroom nose; very refined, mildly beefy, truffle, mushroom palate; medium finish
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12/21/1990 - MicklethePickle Likes this wine: 92 Points
Tasted at Singer & Foy survey of new Rhones. Very good ruby color. Lovely, sweet fruit in the nose. Beautiful flowers. Extremely complex, with just layers and layers of fruit. In the mouth, it has really nice raspberry fruit. Medium body. Peppery. Very fine. 5-13-16-8: 92/100.
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9/14/1990 - MicklethePickle Likes this wine: 93 Points
With Michael Lehmann and Brett Raven at Singer & Foy survey of new Rhones. Nice ruby purple. Aromatic, fruity nose. Forthcoming. In the mouth, this wine is massive, rich, majestic. Mouthfilling! A really big wine – – and truly "great." Quite rich. Pepper. Wow! Impressive. Great stuff. Best Rayas I've tasted. Body defines this wine. 5-11-18-9: 93/100.
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