The 1990 Châteauneuf-du-Pape flirts with that tantalizing intangibility of perfection. The bouquet is heavenly, loaded with melted red fruit, kirsch, touches of Christmas cake, leather and aniseed. Aromas seem to billow and, like your favorite aunt, give the olfactory senses a warm maternal hug. Armed with stunning delineation, I could have just inhaled its perfume all night. The palate is sweet on the entry with cashmere tannins and perfect acidity. Tart cherries and rooibos intertwine towards the sensual finish. It is an utterly spellbinding Châteauneuf-du-Pape that surpasses even my own sky-high expectations. God invented wine to drink wines like this.

Dark ruby/purple-colored, with an over-ripe nose of black cherry jam, kirsch liqueur, raspberries and minerals, this exceptionally full-bodied Chateauneuf du Pape boasts layers of concentration, glycerin, and alcohol (in excess of 15%). The massive alcohol is well-concealed by the wine's spectacular extract and density. Low in acidity and unbelievably sumptuous, it is ideal for consuming now and over the next 10-15+ years. The quintessential Rayas, it is one of the most hedonistic and compelling wines ever made.

Truly otherworldly, the 1990 Château Rayas Châteauneuf-du-Pape Reserve possesses stunningly perfumed and intense aromatics of kirsch and raspberries intermixed with sweet spice, roasted herbs, leather and licorice notes. Very ripe and beautifully complex, the palate is full bodied and a hedonistic dream that just expands in the mouth. There’s amazing sweetness, low acidity and an unbelievable, lush, thick and yet light texture that carries into a monster finish. Firing on all cylinders and as good as wine gets! April 2009