1990 Château Rayas Châteauneuf-du-Pape Reserve
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Tasting notes
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.
Critic scores
Average Score
Neal Martin
Jancis Robinson MW
More reviews and scores
Mature ruby with a pale rim. Sweet and rich and vibrant. Heady and medicinal in a thoroughly good way. Great freshness. Jewels and spice. Bravo! Still lots of life! (JR)
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!
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.