Rayas, Chateauneuf-du-Pape 2008

CRITIC REVIEWS

Robert M. Parker, Jr.

A much lighter style of wine, but showing far better now that it has had some time in bottle, is Emmanuel Reynaud’s 2008 Rayas Chateauneuf du Pape. Medium ruby, with a classic nose of kirsch liqueur intermixed with Provencal herbs, sandy, loamy soil notes, some licorice and steak tartare, this wine is fleshy, medium to full-bodied, round, generous, and surprisingly seductive and luscious. I wouldn’t be surprised if many tasters prefer this over the bigger, richer, more structured and potentially far greater 2007, at least for the next 4-5 years. This is a sensational effort and one of the finest wines of the vintage, the most challenging year in Chateauneuf du Pape since the historical deluge in 2002.

17.5

Jancis Robinson

I tasted four different cuvées that will eventually make their way in to the final blend for this wine. That raised on clay heartland has quite a different structure form the others, being much lighter with red fruit flavours, real lift and some spice. That from older vines didn’t have much perfume but had a deeper colour and was pretty strict in terms of tannins, as well as being extremely fresh – a bit of a rapier this. A blend from the eastern part of the property on very stony ground was also firmly structured, fine and very chewy – freshness was the key element. I’d guess that the final blend will be a bit lighter and tarter than usual but all of these wines have so much more personality, depth and integrity than most of the 2008 Châteauneufs I tasted. Anyone who thinks Rayas has lost its way is surely wrong.

DELIVERY INFORMATION

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ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

COLOUR

Red

COUNTRY

France

REGION

Rhone

VINTAGE

2008

CASE FORMAT

1x75cl

MAX CRITIC SCORE