Alvaro Bustillos

9.8

La colline de colombiere — 3 days ago

Alvaro Bustillos

9.8

Benito y c murgia joes dc 2007 mejor año — 2 months ago

Daniel H.

9.2

Apples and citrus on the nose. Crisp and acidic palate with a long smooth finish with more notes of apple. It makes a wonderful cold glass on a hot summer day. For $7.99 at Costco, this is a bulk buy. — 2 years ago

Tom Casagrande

9.1

Really great value in a straightforward, honest, balanced Grenache. It’s grown within the Faugeres appellation but can’t claim the AOC apparently because it’s from deep sandy soils and not schist. No matter! Rayas grows Grenache in sand so there’s great precedent! Nose shows sappy kirsch-y fruit, lots of savory, mineral notes, and a touch of vanilla and spice. Soft and light-footed in the mouth. Quite dry, savory, and saline. Very soft tannin. Alcohol is relatively low at a stated 13.5. Drinking well now, it will certainly last a year or two longer, though I don’t think it will improve. I love wines like this. So food flexible. — 3 years ago

Alvaro Bustillos

9.4

Pozas pelicans — 3 years ago

Tom Kobylarz

9.7

The best from Sardinia, one of the best Grenache I have ever had. Crazy complex, persistent and expressive nose and palate. Texturallly reminiscent of those sandy soiled, fine tannin ala Chateau Rayas. — 4 years ago

Sylvain Rhainds

9.3

2013
Fait Rayas....quelle belle profondeur !!! — 5 years ago

Alvaro Bustillos

9.5

Dia padre casa mazf — 3 days ago

Alvaro Bustillos

9.7

Lalo o ballesteros ale l @ yoko — 2 months ago

Jay Kline

9.3

Popped and poured; enjoyed over the course of dinner at Le Mazenay. The 2019 pours a deep ruby/purple color with a translucent core; medium+ viscosity with moderate staining of the tears. On the nose, the wine is developing with notes of ripe mixed brambles, some dried red and purple flowers, a touch of VA, some black pepper, some anise and dry earth. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ tannin and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is medium+. A fantastic pairing with partridge. Already showing very well in its youth. Drink now through 2034+. — 7 months ago

Bob McDonald

9.4

We first tried a bottle of Celestins in a restaurant in Gigondas some years ago, and for me it was a WOW Wine. Had this latest bottle on Sunday with Roast Pork. Medicinal to begin with which blew off. Barnyard aromas - horse manure. In hindsight this could’ve been Brett but the overall impression and tasting was impressive and memorable. Glad I have 3 left. Showing a medium to full bodied palate. This is textbook CdP in the old school genre. The tannins are silky and sexy - a liquorice note together with saddle leather. Henri Bonneau passed away in 2016 and the wine making is now carried out by his son, Marcel. A visit to his archaic cellars was keenly sought after and rarely granted. Mould all over the walls, rickety stairs light bulbs dangling from the ceiling and a floor which stuck to the soles of your shoes was how one visitor described his experience in the cellar. Nevertheless this is a CdP up there with Rayas and the top Cuvée from Beaucastel. The blend is usually 90% Grenache with the balance made up of around 4 or 5 different varieties. — 3 years ago

Alexandre Gillioen

9.5

One glass and I did not open the whole bottle. Still I am not disappointed. So far one of the best Chateauneuf-du-pape I had except for Rayas. I am wondering how it wilm evolve. Sor far we have dark fruits, a bit of spices and quite à long finish. I am also surprised that such a wine is pretty much unknown. — 4 years ago

David Langstaff

9.4

Outside of the Rayas family wines, my favorite CDP. A wonderful almost Smokey bouquet covers the brightness of granache fruit and Gus it great balance. Earthier than most cdp. Not overly sweet. A pleasure. — 4 years ago

with Sarah, Cynthia and 1 other

Lee Pitofsky

9.6

From the great Henri Bonneau, along with Château Rayas, the master of CDP. (He and Jacques Reynaud were actually dear friends). It’s insanely expressive and its ultra intense aromatics leap from the glass.

The complex bouquet is layered with rich black and red fruit, leather saddle, wilted violets and savory herbs. It just floats on the palate with its supreme elegance, caressing texture and weightless intensity. So Burgundian in that sense. The finish is so long, lifted and intense, leaving you craving another sip when its flavors finally do dissipate. 04 Célestins is a total knockout. — 5 years ago

Conrad Green

9.7

deep and funky with spice and great depth. Black cherry and loads of complexity on the mid palate. A real stunner — 2 months ago

with BOT, Matt and 1 other

Jay Kline

9.6

I’ve said before that the wines of Chateau Rayas are almost singular in the AOC; certainly one of the purest expressions of Grenache in the world. However, there is another producer that for me, might be an even more archetypal expression of the character of Chateauneuf-du-Pape: Henri Bonneau. Henri’s wines were also predominately Grenache however, they are denser and darker, particularly the Cuvée Marie Beurrier. This is probably more to do with the small addition of other local varieties along with terroir for Mrie Beurrier (Courthézon). Henri had strong feelings about varieties, vine age and cellar practices. He didn’t really like Syrah in CdP (though he had a little of it). He didn’t like ancient vines (most were 30-50 years old and would be torn out and replanted if they were getting up there in the age range) and he believed in extended aging in wood, a collection of very old barrels and foudres. Regardless of whether one agrees or disagrees with his approach, the results were undeniably special.

Opened prior to dinner; enjoyed over the course of several hours. The 2000 “Cuvée Marie Beurrier” pours a deep garnet color with a near opaque core; medium+ viscosity with light staining of the tears. On the nose, the wine is developing (still!). Layered notes of dark brambles, black cherry, garrigue, dried red flowers, beef stew with all the veggies and mixed inorganic earth. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ tannin and medium acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is forever long. This is tremendously well balanced and a wine that I just wanted to keep coming back to…and I did. Drink now through 2040. — 3 months ago

Ira Schwartz

9.6

Get out the thesaurus because I do not have enough adjectives to describe this wine. A similar wine to Rayas in that both wines share characteristics, which if you are being blinded, leads you to Burgundy. Has that wonderful iron fist in a velvet glove texture. Wonderful florals, and red fruit, soar out the glass like a SpaceX launch. In the mouth, the telltale structure that all great wines have. On the palate, waves of complex fruit, earth and perfectly judged acid and tannins caress your taste buds. A long layered finish that will have you shaking your head. A big thank you to the sommeliers . — 3 years ago

David Langstaff

9.0

Part of a CDP tasting with Rayas and Tardieu-Laurent. Most fruit forward of the group. A nice wine but 3rd of 3 — 4 years ago

with Sarah, Lee and 3 others

Mario Martínez Colino

9.0

61 DORADO EN RAMA. Espectacular solera de verdejo y palomino. Todo un trampantojo Cádiz-Rueda. El vino de la corte de los Reyes Católicos, por 25€ se puede beber un poco de historia. — 5 years ago

Ray Vanderhoff

8.9

Light straw color. Aromas of lychee, minerals and a sea breeze. Lemon, green melon, and saline flavors. Mouth watering acidity! Just a bit of harshness on the finish. — 5 years ago