2012 Chateau Rayas, Chateauneuf-du-Pape

Presented in three components, as is Reynaud's custom. #1: High-pitched red berry and floral aromas show superb purity and focus. Racy, crisp and concentrated, offering intense raspberry and cherry flavors and a bracing mineral nuance. Finishes long and spicy, with a whiplash of zesty minerality and lingering red fruit. #2: Deeper and darker in profile, offering sweet black raspberry and cherry-cola aromas and flavors and a hint of licorice. Shows impressive power on the close, with dusty tannins coming on late. #3: Spicy, floral dark berry aromas, with an exotic Indian spice note in the background. Stains the palate with powerful blackberry and bitter cherry flavors that are complicated by notes of smoky minerals and lavender. Suave and seamless on the finish, which lingers with excellent tenacity and smooth, harmonious tannins.

Château Rayas regularly hold wines back until they feel they’re ready to drink, so the 2012 Châteauneuf Du Pape Reserve is the current release from the château. It reveals a classic Rayas ruby hue with just a touch of bricking on the rim. Sweet strawberries, sappy flowers, sandalwood, and peppery nuances define the aromatics, and it hits the palate with a beautifully layered, seamless, medium-bodied profile offering the classic purity and elegance of this address. It's a solid step up over the 2011, with more density and depth, and will drink beautifully over the coming decade.

This was a very late season, when picking took place 10-26 October. The blend, to be bottled in spring 2014, is made up of roughly equal parts of the 'heart of Rayas', 'sunset' and 'sunrise' portions. The heart was pale ruby, smelt a bit cheesy and introvert but on the palate had lovely rosy charm even though it definitely needs time. The sunset portion was more open, charming, evolved and meaty than the heart. It was so delicate and persistent that it was truly heart warming and so delicate. The sunrise portion has a meaty, almost animal nose but on the palate managed to be very pretty and charming. (JR)