1991 Chateau Fonsalette Cuvée Syrah
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Tasting notes
From the Ch Rayas stable. Both firm and sweet. Very rich and long on pouring but with time in the glass it tightened up somewhat. Nevertheless, it's likely to be the best Côtes-du-Rhône you'll ever come across. (JR)
Critic scores
Robert Parker
Jancis Robinson MW
More reviews and scores
Served blind initially, alongside the Cuvée Cathelin of the same vintage. Deep crimson. At first, in stark contrast to the Chave wine, the nose was extremely reticent but the palate was very much richer, sweeter and more concentrated. It tasted very much of the southern Rhône – in fact it was difficult to believe it was all-Syrah. Thanks to all that sweetness, it tasted very much as though it contained Grenache. Lovely jewel brightness of fruit but it tastes at peak now. Admirably polished tannins. Very, very long. (JR)
The profound 1991 Cuvee Syrah offers an amazing opaque, black/purple color, followed by a huge nose of roasted herbs and cassis that roars from the glass. With a natural alcohol of more than 14% (from yields of 20-25 hectoliters per hectare), this massive, phenomenally extracted, gigantic wine needs 8-10 years of cellaring. It should last for 20-30 years. I have purchased and cellared the 1978 Fonsalette Cuvee Syrah and it is not even close to maturity after nearly 18 years of aging! The awesome 1991 tastes as if it came from a top vintage. Imported by Martine's Wines, San Rafael, CA; tel. (415) 485-1800, Wines of France, Alain Junguenet, Mountainside, NJ; tel. (908) 654-6173, and Ideal Wines, Medford, MA; tel. (617) 395-3300
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.