A recent visit to Le Vivier restaurant in Isle-sur-la-Sorgue near Avignon turned up a very good wine list, with one bottle in particular than couldn't be ignored. Explosively aromatic, with blood orange, peppermint, strawberry, thyme, rosemary, all whirling round. On the palate it's well balanced, including alcohol (though surely 15.5%). You could argue it lacks a little grip and structure, but that's not the Rayas style. What a wine.
Finally, there was the 2006 Châteauneuf-du-Pape from Château Rayas. This rather overshadowed the preceding Burgundy with its flattering scents of crushed strawberry, ripe clementines and incense, light leathery notes emerging with time. The palate is elegant and refined, one of the most transparent Rayas reds that I have encountered, leading to a persistent, licorice-tinged finish. This is a wonderful, refined Rayas, probably at its peak.
A good, but not great Rayas, with sexy, perfumed, and upfront kirsch, sweet spice, underbrush, and dried floral aromatics, the 2006 Château Rayas Châteauneuf-du-Pape Reserve is medium to full bodied on the palate and beautifully balanced, showing sweet fruit, a soft, seamless texture and impressive focus and precision on the finish. Surprisingly accessible and open, it will be interesting to see how this evolves over the coming years. While more structured vintages can drink well for 2 to 3 decades, I would shoot for drinking these over the coming 10-15 or so years.
The elegant 2006 Rayas Chateauneuf du Pape is not as powerful as the 2005 or 2007, but it offers a deep ruby color as well as opulent, fleshy, kirsch and black raspberry characteristics along with hints of spring flowers and loamy soil. A sexy, showy, beautifully balanced, silky effort, it is already approachable, and should drink well for two decades.
A restrained style, with shadings of sandalwood and rose water weaving through the lightly mulled red currant, raspberry and cherry fruit. Blood orange, vanilla bean and mineral hints check in on the finish. Drink now through 2025. 2,084 cases made, 250 cases imported.