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Inventory updated: Tue, Dec 03, 2024 04:02 PM cst
Our vintages of Ch. Rayas wine currently include: 1996, 1998, 2003, 2005, 2006
Flickinger Fine Wines' inventory of Ch. Rayas wine is listed below. We have an excellent and vast assortment of fine wines to choose from. If you do not see what you are looking for, give us a call and we can suggest another Ch. Rayas vintage or even another producer that we are sure you will enjoy.
| Producer |
Vint. |
Wine |
Price |
Qty |
Order |
| | Rhone Red |
| Ch. Rayas |
1996 |
Chateauneuf du Pape Reserve  |
$1,000 |
1 |
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JLL ***[*] (4/1999): Quite pale, gentle red colour; the nose is closed (“it has gone closed," Emmanuel Reynaud) - there is berried fruit, strawberry that is slightly spiced, recalls Pinot Noir. The berry red fruits on the palate are measured, denote a year that is not big in scale. Sound tannic support, almost a Burgundian finesse to this. “We had the weather of Burgundy in 1996," Françoise Reynaud. The palate is delicate, but has sinew, and the length is pretty good, shows some final heat. Touch of the silk in the texture. Bottled Jan 1998. With air, 8 hours later, it is more genuinely rounded than this morning at the Château, its balance is good, the flavour a bright, spiced strawberry.
VM 90+ (2/1999): Good deep red. Deeper aromas of black cherry, raspberry, pepper and licorice. Broad-shouldered but very closed, showing less sweetness today than the '96 Pignan. Red fruit flavors complicated by notes of leather, licorice and herbs. Strong acid/tannin backbone for aging. But tough going today.
WA 89 (1/2003): This lighter-styled wine appears diluted in terms of color, but it possesses surprising quantities of sweet black cherry fruit intermixed with hints of resin, licorice, and tobacco. It is a medium to full-bodied Chateauneuf with far more flavor and intensity than its light-ish colors suggest. The wine requires consumption over the next 5-8 years.
WS 88 (12/1999): Excellent effort for this vintage, which was difficult in the Southern Rhône. A lush, ripe, lovely wine, packed with blackberry and cassis flavors. Full-bodied; a good candidate for the cellar.--Château Rayas vertical. Best from 2005 through 2015. |
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1996 |
Chateauneuf du Pape Reserve Very Slightly Raised Cork |
$1,000 |
1 |
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JLL ***[*] (4/1999): Quite pale, gentle red colour; the nose is closed (“it has gone closed," Emmanuel Reynaud) - there is berried fruit, strawberry that is slightly spiced, recalls Pinot Noir. The berry red fruits on the palate are measured, denote a year that is not big in scale. Sound tannic support, almost a Burgundian finesse to this. “We had the weather of Burgundy in 1996," Françoise Reynaud. The palate is delicate, but has sinew, and the length is pretty good, shows some final heat. Touch of the silk in the texture. Bottled Jan 1998. With air, 8 hours later, it is more genuinely rounded than this morning at the Château, its balance is good, the flavour a bright, spiced strawberry.
VM 90+ (2/1999): Good deep red. Deeper aromas of black cherry, raspberry, pepper and licorice. Broad-shouldered but very closed, showing less sweetness today than the '96 Pignan. Red fruit flavors complicated by notes of leather, licorice and herbs. Strong acid/tannin backbone for aging. But tough going today.
WA 89 (1/2003): This lighter-styled wine appears diluted in terms of color, but it possesses surprising quantities of sweet black cherry fruit intermixed with hints of resin, licorice, and tobacco. It is a medium to full-bodied Chateauneuf with far more flavor and intensity than its light-ish colors suggest. The wine requires consumption over the next 5-8 years.
WS 88 (12/1999): Excellent effort for this vintage, which was difficult in the Southern Rhône. A lush, ripe, lovely wine, packed with blackberry and cassis flavors. Full-bodied; a good candidate for the cellar.--Château Rayas vertical. Best from 2005 through 2015. |
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1998 |
Chateauneuf du Pape Reserve |
$1,500 |
1 |
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JLL ****** (4/1999): Most imposing, beautiful wine in prospect. A rare bounty, with harmony to the forefront, but the rarity of excellent, silken packing within as well - the symphony starts early this year, thanks to its great balance.
WS 93 (9/2007): This continues to evolve, and always benefits from a lot of air time in the glass (or decanter), which allows its lilting, perfumy aromas and light color to become more concentrated and darker. Cherry, rose petal, pine forest, spice and mineral notes hang on the supple frame with deceptive grip on the finish. Drink now through 2017. 1,250 cases made.
VM 92 (8/2007): The only wine that seemed a little out of place was the 1998 Châteauneuf-du-Pape. It offered attractive suggestions of sweet licorice, underbrush and herbs, but didn’t have the depth of fruit of the wines that would follow. Antonio Galloni.
WA 89 (6/2010): The 1998 Rayas has sweet kirsch liqueur notes, the color is disturbingly light, which doesn’t normally bother me, but there is also burgeoning orange and rust at the edge. The wine is medium to full-bodied, displays loads of cedar, loamy soil notes, balsam wood, pepper, and garrigue. There is nothing wrong with this wine, and if you haven’t had any of the really great vintages of Rayas (1981, 1985, 1989, 1990, 1995), readers would probably think it’s a super wine. However, I have had great ones, and drink them quite frequently, so for me this is just a good, not profound Rayas. Moreover, I think it needs to be consumed over the next 5-7 years before it loses any intensity. |
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1998 |
Chateauneuf du Pape Reserve Torn and Taped Capsule; Signs of Old Seepage |
$1,050 |
2 |
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| |
JLL ****** (4/1999): Most imposing, beautiful wine in prospect. A rare bounty, with harmony to the forefront, but the rarity of excellent, silken packing within as well - the symphony starts early this year, thanks to its great balance.
WS 93 (9/2007): This continues to evolve, and always benefits from a lot of air time in the glass (or decanter), which allows its lilting, perfumy aromas and light color to become more concentrated and darker. Cherry, rose petal, pine forest, spice and mineral notes hang on the supple frame with deceptive grip on the finish. Drink now through 2017. 1,250 cases made.
VM 92 (8/2007): The only wine that seemed a little out of place was the 1998 Châteauneuf-du-Pape. It offered attractive suggestions of sweet licorice, underbrush and herbs, but didn’t have the depth of fruit of the wines that would follow. Antonio Galloni.
WA 89 (6/2010): The 1998 Rayas has sweet kirsch liqueur notes, the color is disturbingly light, which doesn’t normally bother me, but there is also burgeoning orange and rust at the edge. The wine is medium to full-bodied, displays loads of cedar, loamy soil notes, balsam wood, pepper, and garrigue. There is nothing wrong with this wine, and if you haven’t had any of the really great vintages of Rayas (1981, 1985, 1989, 1990, 1995), readers would probably think it’s a super wine. However, I have had great ones, and drink them quite frequently, so for me this is just a good, not profound Rayas. Moreover, I think it needs to be consumed over the next 5-7 years before it loses any intensity. |
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2003 |
Chateauneuf du Pape Reserve Bin-Soiled Label |
$1,200 |
1 |
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WA 95 (2/2006): The 2003 Rayas Chateauneuf du Pape has gone from strength to strength and now looks to be the finest vintage since the monumental 1995. Deep ruby to the rim with that classic Rayas nose of flowers, kirsch liqueur, black raspberries, crushed rocks, and minerals, the wine is dense and concentrated, with a broad, savory mouthfeel, sweet yet silky tannin, fabulous persistence, and a blockbuster finish that just goes on and on. This is a reassuringly profound Rayas that seems to suggest that Emmanuel Reynaud has finally figured out this cold-climate terroir in a warm climate appellation. This wine should be given 3-4 years of bottle age, and drunk over the following 20+ years.
JD 94 (3/2011): Silky and perfumed as well as not showing any of the over-ripeness of the vintage, the 2003 Château Rayas Châteauneuf-du-Pape Reserve possesses beautiful aromatics of kirsch, black tea, garrigue, and green peppercorn that are wrapped around loads of sweet Grenache fruit. Perhaps less intense than other top vintages of this wine, it still shows the telltale Rayas aromatic profile. Medium to full bodied on the palate, the wine is stunningly textured, well balanced and fresh, firming up nicely on the finish with subtle tannin and good energy. Drinking well now, I see nothing that would keep this from continuing to deliver over the next 10 to 15 years.
WS 93 (6/2006): Lovely perfume, with tightly woven red and black cherry, graphite, incense, mineral and sous bois notes that stay fresh and focused thanks to finely imbedded acidity. Stylish finish. Drink now through 2025. 1,500 cases made. |
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2005 |
Chateauneuf du Pape Reserve (12x750ML)
ETA 120-180 Days; No cancellations or returns |
$19,266.98 |
1 |
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WA 97 (10/2008): I could not resist retasting the 2005 Rayas Chateauneuf du Pape. Until the 2007 is in bottle, the 2005 is clearly the greatest wine made at this estate since the 1995. Made from 100% Grenache, it boasts an unusually (for Rayas) dark ruby/purple-tinged color as well as an exceptionally sweet bouquet of black cherry jam, truffles, incense, licorice, and raspberries. Full-bodied with a stunningly rich, concentrated mouthfeel, an explosive mid-palate, and a finish that lasts more than a minute, it is a wine of superb power and intensity admirably displaying the terroir’s hallmark delicacy and ethereal nature. This utterly profound Chateauneuf du Pape should drink beautifully for 25+ years.
VM 96 (2/2008): Deep red. Explosively perfumed nose offers a kaleidoscopic bouquet of red berries, candied cherry, orange marmalade and fresh flowers. Silky and deep in raspberry and cherry flavor, but with an airy, graceful character reminiscent of a highfalootin' Burgundy. A remarkably concentrated, elegant wine that finishes with superb, seamless length. There is absolutely no excess fat on this.
JD 96 (2/2010): The 2005 Château Rayas Châteauneuf-du-Pape Reserve exhibits a slightly transparent, ruby red color as well as knockout aromatics of garrigue, kirsch, raspberries, and smoke. With air, some black tea leaves and licorice notes follow. The wine is beautifully perfumed, complex and nuanced. In the mouth, it’s full bodied with sweet fruit, a soft, supple texture and a blockbuster finish. While I think this clearly surpasses the ’04 (a fantastic wine in its own right), I’m not sure it hits the heights of the ’89,’90 or ’95. Time will tell though and this is a gorgeous Rayas that should drink beautifully over the next 20 years.
JLL ***** (11/2007): Some darkness at the heart of the plum red robe; the nose shows raspberry with a quiet, rich, on the liqueur trail tone to it, also black berries, and mulberry and plum. There is plenty to come. The palate has a rich, understated start. This is broad, and the richness travels widely and well. The length is good, the end is crisp. There is a touch of late pepper, and the tannins are very well integrated, are sealed right in with the red fruits. There is a good bit of lip smack at the finish. The palate still has a floral tone to it. Needs to be decanted in its youth, even though it is so rich. Nearly 15%. Hovers towards 6 stars. From late 2010.
WS 94 (9/2008): Really pure, tangy and superracy, with fresh, bright minerality rippling through the red cherry, red currant, fresh garrigue, shiso leaf and licorice notes. The long, finely tuned finish lingers on and on, with very fine acidity carrying it all. Drink now through 2028. 1,300 cases made. |
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2006 |
Chateauneuf du Pape Reserve (6x750ML)
ETA 120-180 Days; No cancellations or returns |
$8,993.97 |
1 |
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| JD 94 (6/2011): 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. |
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