Chateau de Fonsalette

Réservé Côtes du Rhône Red Rhône Blend

9.3106 ratings
9.224 pro ratings
Côtes du Rhône, Southern Rhône, Rhône, France
Red Rhone Blend
Top Notes For
Jeremy Shanker

Sommelier at RN74

9.4

Terrible label, fresh as day bottle.

Terrible label, fresh as day bottle.

Aug 12th, 2024
Gilbert Van Hassel

Outstanding bottle.

Outstanding bottle.

Jul 25th, 2024
Gilbert Van Hassel

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

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

Feb 18th, 2024
Alex Lallos

Owner No Limit Fine Wines, Private Wine Consultant

9.5

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

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

May 24th, 2021
Fraser McKinley

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

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

Jul 24th, 2020
Lee Pitofsky

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.

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.

Aug 7th, 2019
Tom Casagrande

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!

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!

Mar 10th, 2019
Ceccherini Cristiano

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

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

Jan 21st, 2019
Andrew S

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

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

Jan 6th, 2018
Ed Lehrman

This was red not white. Good but not unusually so

This was red not white. Good but not unusually so

Jan 24th, 2017