1998 Château Rayas Pignan Châteauneuf-du-Pape Reserve
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Tasting notes
The 1998 Pignan is a somewhat washed-out version of the 1998 Rayas. It exhibits nice notes of strawberry, incense, dusty loamy notes, and herbs, but it is fully mature and best drunk up soon. I have never been a big fan of the wines from Rayas in 1998, the first top vintage controlled by Emmanuel Reynaud after the death of his uncle, Jacques Reynaud. As a postscript, having visited here every year for at least two decades, Emmanuel Reynaud hit his stride with Rayas by 2001, and produced awesome wines in 2005 and 2007.
Critic scores
Robert Parker
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
More reviews and scores
Sample #1: Sauvage aromas of cherry and smoke. Quite closed in the mouth, but powerful and liqueur-like. Very young and unevolved. Finishes with pepper and spice. Sample #2: Explosive aromas of cherry, leather, smoke, chocolate and earth. Solid ripe tannins give this substantial juice excellent structure. Should make an excellent Pignan.
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.