2015 Château Rayas Châteauneuf-du-Pape Reserve

The 2015 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Réserve is irresistibly captivating, soaring from the glass with perfumed kirsch, wild strawberry coulis, molten stems and subtle fleshy tones. Full-bodied yet wonderfully light on its feet, the 2015 dances across the palate, delivering tremendous intensity before turning increasingly slender and sensual, with black tea leaves, salinity and breathtaking freshness carrying the long, filigreed finish. There is a distinctly Reynaud-like dramaturgy to the way this wine unfolds, ripe and hedonistic at first, then cerebral, precise and almost ethereal. Intellectual and sensual in equal measure, this is a meticulously sculpted Rayas that transparently reflects grape variety, terroir, growing season and winemaker. A combination that is simply impossible to replicate. (NG)