1996 Chateau Fonsalette Côtes du Rhône Rouge
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Tasting notes
The 1996 Fonsalette Cotes du Rhone boasts a dense ruby/purple color, as well as a chocolatey, blackberry, super-concentrated palate impression, and considerable body. This wine is atypically massive for this vintage. Muscular and structured, with huge fruit and richness, it was made from fully ripened fruit and an extremely late harvest. While it has softened in the bottle, this offering is still dominated by its truffle and blackberry jam aspects. Anticipated maturity: 2001-2018. Importers: Martine's Wines, San Rafael, CA; tel. (415) 485-1800 and Alain Junguenet, Wines of France, Mountainside, NJ; tel. (908) 654-6173
Critic scores
Average Score
Robert Parker
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
More reviews and scores
Medium red. Cherry, black pepper and an exotic note of apricot on the nose. Dense and mouthfilling; complex but not especially fruity today, with a strong peppery quality. Has enough sweet middle to support the strong but evenly distributed tannins. Persistent finish. This should age extremely well for a Côtes du Rhône.
About the producer

Ch. Rayas is a cult name in Châteauneuf-du-Pape. The wines – pure, silken expressions of Grenache with distinctive perfume – are revered for their singularity and fiercely collected. Made by Emmanuel Reynaud and renowned for their ageability, they have become some of the region's most sought-after.