Réservé Côtes du Rhône Red Rhône Blend

Great lunch. Highly perfumed fonsalette and even more so rayas against a very young and quite flabby Pegau. Elegance against power, feminin against masculin.

Off the charts fantastic. Rustic and started off slightly muted but then evolved into rayas magic of lightly burnt earth, bright cranberry and gravel. What a wine! Built in body and complexity with air. Thanks @Lee Lightfoot

This was a pretty thrilling flight to dive into. All had plenty of character but the 2003 was a revelation and an outstanding effort from such a challenging growing season. So beautifully poised and lithe - 2003, 2000, 1997 & 1996

From the illustrious Château Rayas, animalistic and complex with sappy red berries, sweetened cola, damp earth and smoked herbs. Sexy wine with a long spice tinged finish.

Whenever we can find it, this is our March “anniversary” (of our first date) wine. First one was the ‘83 in 1987.

This ‘08 is on the decline but it still unmistakably a Reynaud Grenache. Spicy, earthy, iron-y, fragrant, powerful and elegant. I wish the importer would make more recent vintages available. We’re all cheated because it’s not. I had to shell out well over $100 to get this retail, clearly through a secondary market. Still, we’re happy to have it!

Very unusual wine
Ripe lime, maybe papaya, definitely kiwi
Honeydew and bitter melon
Honey, bunch of yellow flowers
Candied ginger
A bit oxidative on the nose
Almondy
Mediterranean herbs, rosemary and thyme over all the others
Palate even more different from the average bottle I open normally
Bitterness with a bit of Tannin
Dry, but lots of evolution
I'd say past its peak bracket
So fascinating though nearly mesmerizing and hypnotizing😱😱🙏🙏
On the same page with the more fleshy Rayas CdP blanc as a style

Riper fruits, muscle, pepper. Nice balance and refreshing finish.

This was red not white. Good but not unusually so

Fraîcheur grenachée, aillassée

Had it October 2008.
Brilliant and transparent ruby to garnet colour. Pinot noir like fruit on the nose, surrounded by nutmeg, white chocolate, white pepper , cardamom and a little herbaceous note. Perfect tannin.
Elegant, not powerful, quite persistent, but not super persistent.