1986 Château Rayas Châteauneuf-du-Pape Reserve
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Tasting notes
This wine has been fully mature since its release and continues to drink well, although owners are advised to consume it before the turn of the century. Not one of the most successful 1986s (a difficult as well as irregular vintage in Chateauneuf du Pape), it displays a medium ruby color with no signs of amber or orange. A peppery, herbaceous, celery-scented note competes with ripe cherry/kirsch aromas. Although medium to full-bodied, with good glycerin and a velvety texture, the wine lacks the sweet mid-palate and inner-core of extraction and depth found in the greatest Rayas vintages. Drink it up. 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
Critic scores
Robert Parker
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.