Château Rayas
Reserve Château de Fonsalette Côtes du Rhône Red Rhone Blend
Côtes du Rhône, Southern Rhône, Rhône, France

It’s impossible to find this retail, so we got this from Zachys, which had obtained it via auction. Paid a pretty penny, but it’s the wine my wife and I had on our first date in 1987 (we had the ‘83 then, which I think set me back $25, which was a lot back then). So it’s a sentimental favorite. Unfortunately, though the cork and the fill were perfect, this wine has seen better days. Color is seriously browning. Autumnal, port-like nose with some stewed prune-infused fruit remaining. Some nice library furniture notes. On the palate, the texture is sumptuous, with all tannins resolved. Tastes a bit more youthful than the nose suggests. Air is helping (we decanted about an hour ago into a broad decanter). I’ll update if this gets better. For now, it’s an 8.8. ,
It’s impossible to find this retail, so we got this from Zachys, which had obtained it via auction. Paid a pretty penny, but it’s the wine my wife and I had on our first date in 1987 (we had the ‘83 then, which I think set me back $25, which was a lot back then). So it’s a sentimental favorite. Unfortunately, though the cork and the fill were perfect, this wine has seen better days. Color is seriously browning. Autumnal, port-like nose with some stewed prune-infused fruit remaining. Some nice library furniture notes. On the palate, the texture is sumptuous, with all tannins resolved. Tastes a bit more youthful than the nose suggests. Air is helping (we decanted about an hour ago into a broad decanter). I’ll update if this gets better. For now, it’s an 8.8. ,
Mar 17th, 2024





