1985 Château Rayas Châteauneuf-du-Pape Reserve Châteauneuf-du-Pape Rhône France Wine Tasting Note

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1985 Château Rayas Reserve  (Châteauneuf-du-Pape) 97 Medium-bodied, finesse in style, with elegance and grace, which made the perfect backdrop for the wine's flowers, raspberries, strawberries, and cherries, with their minty, spicy edge. The purity in the fruits stands out in the silky finish. Drink from 2026-2031. Medium-bodied, finesse in style, with elegance and grace, which made the perfect backdrop for the wine's flowers, raspberries, strawberries, and cherries, with their minty, spicy edge. The purity in the fruits stands out in the silky finish. Drink from 2026-2031. 22 Views   Tasted Mar 30, 2026  • Buy This Wine For The Lowest Price DOWNLOAD TASTING NOTE | Post to The intoxicating, complex perfume of pure kirsch, fresh raspberry, pepper, earth, red plum liqueur, cherry blossoms and the equivalent of shoving your nose in an over-stuffed spice box drawer, makes it close to impossible to stop enjoying the aromas and taste the wine. The textures are pure silk and velvet with that unique exotic, and little bit of kinkiness that is only found in the top vintages of Rayas. Medium bodied, (Rayas is never about power) with a beautiful purity of spicy, ripe and over ripe red fruits, this is drinking at peak maturity. Fortunately, I still have one bottle left. I'll probably pop it when the wine hits 30, as I want to retain as much fruit and freshness as possible. The intoxicating, complex perfume of pure kirsch, fresh raspberry, pepper, earth, red plum liqueur, cherry blossoms and the equivalent of shoving your nose in an over-stuffed spice box drawer, makes it close to impossible to stop enjoying the aromas and taste the wine. The textures are pure silk and velvet with that unique exotic, and little bit of kinkiness that is only found in the top vintages of Rayas. Medium bodied, (Rayas is never about power) with a beautiful purity of spicy, ripe and over ripe red fruits, this is drinking at peak maturity. Fortunately, I still have one bottle left. I'll probably pop it when the wine hits 30, as I want to retain as much fruit and freshness as possible. 5,795 Views   Tasted Jun 9, 2012

When to Drink Chateau Rayas, Anticipated Maturity, Decanting Time

Chateau Rayas can be enjoyed on the young side. However, the wine is much better with age. Still, due to its soft, pure, elegant, fresh style young vintages can be popped and poured, or decanted for 2 hours, give or take. This allows the wine to soften and open its perfume. Older vintages might need very little decanting, just enough to remove the sediment.

Chateau Rayas is usually better after 8-10 years of bottle age. Of course, that can vary slightly, depending on the vintage. In the best vintages, the wine should be consumed within 10-30 years after the vintage.

Serving Chateau Rayas with Wine, Food Pairing Tips

Rayas is best served at 15.5 degrees Celsius, 60 degrees Fahrenheit. The cool, almost cellar temperature gives the wine more freshness and lift.

Chateau Rayas is best served with all types of classic meat dishes, veal, pork, beef, lamb, duck, game, roast chicken, roasted, braised, stewed dishes, sausage, and cassoulet. Chateau Rayas is also good with Asian dishes, hearty fish courses like tuna, mushrooms pasta, eggplant, and tomatoes.

The white wine of Rayas is best served with a myriad of different seafood dishes, shellfish, crab, lobster, sushi, sashimi, chicken, pork, and veal, as well as Asian cuisine.

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