2010 Château Rayas Châteauneuf-du-Pape Reserve

Community Tasting Notes (36) Avg Score: 96.2 points

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  5/4/2024 - sirpat00 Likes this wine: 99 Points

  At a restaurant in Königsberg, Alsace. Decanted briefly, but in my opinion no decanting needed IF you’re a small enough party to follow this over several hours. Red berry fruit, defined and beautifully precise, of strawberry and raspberry. Sweet and ripe, perfectly extracted. Cooler vegetal base, forest floor and truffles. Spice and seasoning. Fine mushroom layer. Black coffee and black tea. You could go on and on… Absolutely weightless palate despite a firm structure marked by soft tannin, fresh acidity and juicy fruit. Impeccable from attack to finish. Versatile beyond belief.
  
  This bottle is all the evidence you need to justify the hype (and maybe even price) of Rayas. In our group of wine enthusiasts one said this was easily one of the best 3 wines he’s ever had. Another one, himself dabbling in winemaking, memorably remarked that this wine slightly altered his soul… no need to say more.
  
  The only reason that keeps me from scoring this at a perfect 100 is that I am convinced the 2010 is not even at its peak yet and given another 5-10 years could unveil even more!

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  4/16/2024 - Eric wrote:

  Châteauneuf-du-Pape with my boy!; 4/15/2024-4/17/2024 (Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Southern Rhône, France): So young, but this is everything you want from Rayas, just such a unique expression of Grenache on sandy soils. Sweet and savory, seemingly pale and light but with deceptive power and persistence. Haunting wine. This will improve for two decades.

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  4/6/2024 - Mrbuzz Likes this wine: 94 Points

  VINTAGE 2010 Dinner (Galletto Ristorante, Modesto Ca.): This was decanted all day...darker and more sauvage, showing black cherry and Kirsch liqueur...some high toned blood orange acidity, dusty earth spice...the fruit not as "pretty" red as the 11 we had last month...still VERY intriguing complexities that kept coming with every sip! Wonderful perfume of florals of crushed berries...some white pepper spice, old leather...rhubarb and red licorice dryness...still has a lot of crushed rock and some tobacco...but that damn 2005 we had a few years ago still has me searching for that amazing red fruited elegance and haunting perfume...this 2010 seems more serious, and probably in need of many more years. Still, a true pleasure to drink one when you can!

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  4/3/2024 - LB88 wrote: 95 Points

  This was absolutely a revelation, it was drinking beautifully with the balance and poise of a great wine but yet this was only a baby. I ve had many different vintages of rayas reserve and I would count this as one of the best I ve ever had. Better than the superb approachable 08 and the great 05. I ve never had the 1990 but I understand that this could be even better than that. This can only get better from here.

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  4/2/2024 - EvoPeteMTL Likes this wine: 94 Points

  Pop and pour, sort of. Much more open than the '09. Again, the strawberry and red orange is there. There is definitely more age\evolution on this one. Vs. the 2009 we felt this has the lesser potential. But more open for business now. Great wine.

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