2007 Chateau Rayas, Chateauneuf-du-Pape 6x75cl

Robert Parker 95

The 2007 Chateauneuf du Pape was slightly more impressive in its youth, and it’s dropped a fair bit of color and is more upfront than I expected. Nevertheless, it’s still a beautiful, elegant Rayas that offers classic notes of framboise, flower garden, strawberry jam and garrigue. Medium to full-bodied, seductive and elegant on the palate, with that seamless style that’s rarely found outside of this address, drink it anytime over the coming decade or more. [Jeb Dunnuck, 16/12/2016]

Anticipated maturity: 2016-2032

Vinous 97

Bright ruby. Red berry, cherry and Asian spice aromas are lifted by sexy notes of rose petal and blood orange. Impressively pure and perfumed, with remarkable precision and cut to its concentrated but lively flavors of cherry and black raspberry. The weightless, mineral-driven character of this wine is something else. In a distinctly delicate, feminine style, with superb finishing cut and energy. This will probably cost a fortune when it lands in the U.S. , unfortunately. [Josh Raynolds, 01/01/2010]

JancisRobinson.com 19.0

We tasted three different ingredients in what will surely be a very famous wine. The first was from ‘the heart of Rayas’ on clay soils around the winery. It was markedly lighter than the Pignan at this stage on the nose but exceptionally rich in weight, while also managing to be racy, sweet and transparent too – as the much more developed Fonsalette had been. The second foudre, filled with wine made from even more clayey soils of Couchon, yielded up a wine with electric energy but one that at the moment was more introvert, while the third was the first-picked lot which even had a note of green along with the richness and animal aromas on the nose but on the palate was extraordinarily sweet and concentrated – yet was probably the chewiest of the three. In fact such was the intensity of the ripe fruit that I hardly noticed tannins at all in the first two samples. [10/12/2008]

Anticipated maturity: 2016-2032