Château Rayas Côtes du Rhône Château de Fonsalette Cuvée Syrah

Outstanding. I poured a glass and let the bottle stand for about 2 hours before drinking. In prime drinking window right now. Unmistakably syrah - it started with sweet black fruit, smoky and gamey, then rounding out the aromatics with the signature Rayas dried orange peel. Sweet and savory on the palate, very elegant, fresh, bright and juicy with excellent length, almost jewel like texture. Hauntingly beautiful wine.

2004 vintage

100% Syrah - a rare thing in Côtes du Rhône - mainly from very old vines. Vinified in whole bunches, macerated with the skins for 10-14 days and aged in old oak casks. 14% alcohol. Very deep, dark and almost fully opaque blackish-red color with a maroon hue. The nose feels moderately evolved and quite noticeably meaty with bold aromas of wizened dark berries, some earth, light evolved notes of beef jerky and gamey meat, a little bit of tapenade …

2004 vintage

Wow! One of the finest wines I’ve ever had. Opened and let stand about 30 minutes. First glass was tight, dry and rather acidic, lots of bricking. Thought it was past its prime. Then it opened up and blossomed. Nose of graphite, fresh earth, red fruits, later dried porcini mushroom appeared. On the palate the wine was still loaded with red fruits, candied raspberry, a lush sumptuous mouthfeel. Great length on the finish. It was more Rayas than Syrah. Oddly …

2004 vintage

A more elegant vintage than usual. Very nice.

2004 vintage

PB 50 Rayas Extravarganza (PB's house, Charlottenlund) : Dark hue, oxidative notes – on the nose, but taste is pure joy; minerals, honey, rich and broad wine. Drink up.

2004 vintage

No rating for this, as I found very closed indeed, this is more Syrah, than Rayas at the moment, elegant, smoky, but also a bit unforgiving. Nothing like the Fonsalette 2004 tasted recently at Bistro Boheme, this is a very different animal indeed - naturally. #PB&Co.

2004 vintage

delicate delicious concur with recent notes below

2004 vintage

Really delightful wine. Nose is classic Rhone syrah with smoked meat, iron, black fruits, and a hint of animale funk. The palate was beautifully delineated with well integrated tannins and delicious fruit, meat, earth, and floral notes. This was as just about as good as the 06 Rostaing Cote Blonde consumed the evening prior.

2004 vintage

Sadly was mildly corked. Still lots of spice and heady fruit with incense but musky and corky too.

2004 vintage

The 2004 Fonsalette Syrah is still very primary, so giving it a score is somewhat otiose, but I can only imagine that it resembles the stunning 1994 at the same age. The bouquet is reticent, and offers up scents of blackberry and loamy soil, followed by a deliciously crunchy, vibrant palate impression; the tannins are fine but abundant, and the wine exhibits remarkable balance and purity for a Southern Rhone syrah. This has terrific upside potential, and should be brilliant …

2004 vintage

Alcohol 14% Decant on the spot at drank in the next 3hrs. Very classic in style and a wine of contemplation, definitely not a crowd pleaser. Dark ruby core with just a hint of brownish at the rim. The nose is tight and the palate is dominated by the solid structured with medium level of very firm tannin formed a tannic wall that coat the mouth and buried the fruits undernearth. Thanks god the wine slowly opened up and show …

2004 vintage

Still possess the youthful deep purple colour, showing little sign of the age of this wine. Floral and opulent nose indeed - white pepper, cinnamon, graphite and some wet stone minerality on the nose. Firm and gripping tannins in the mid palate that somehow melts away and coated my tongue admirably, and the conservative dark fruits, meaty & mineral quality sort of released from the prison of tannins and blended well with its creamy and soft texture. It has a …

2004 vintage

same as previous note from 1 month earlier.

2004 vintage

Not as good as the last bottle as this one was a tad soft in comparison, but still very enjoyable.

2004 vintage

Feels soft on the palate at first but the tannins and acidity quickly show up holding this wine up beautifully. The sweet entry is followed by a focused palate of garrigue, bacon fat, red fruit, and a tad of licorice. Aromas of cherries, herbes de provence, licorice and sous bois. Might as well be a very good cdp. The finish stays with you. Awesome & lovely! It has at least 4 or 5 years left in it easy.

2004 vintage

Terrific wine. Dark purple. Intense nose of farmyard, smoked meat and dark berries. So silky and elegant on the palate. The dark-toned fruit is pebbly, lively and oh so pure. Plenty of cracked pepper and smoked meat coming through as well. There is an elegance to this wine which leads my thoughts towards Cote-Rotie, but then again this is a unique wine. Obviously, this well develop well and turn into something truly special some 10 years from now. I'm happy …

2004 vintage

nice. Lots of pepper and spice. Fruit is present but is overshadowed by the pepper/spice. Maybe another year or two?

2004 vintage

On the nose, incredibly peppery, with garrigue notes as well. Limited fruit. On the palate, again, extremely peppery, with an underlying meatiness. Somewhat high-pitched. At this point, this is my least favorite of Reynaud's '04s (see TNs for the rest of his '04 reds), but time in the cellar could change this one... Right now, it's just too peppery and short on fruit for me - as opposed to, say, the 2004 Fonsalette rouge, which is gorgeously fruited and balanced …

2004 vintage

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Château Rayas Côtes du Rhône Château de Fonsalette Cuvée Syrah

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