1976 Chateauneuf du Pape
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Tasting notes
The 1976 has been in decline since the mid to late-eighties, and it continues to take on more orange/amber at the edge. The nose is losing some of its once modest quantities of jammy, cherry fruit, taking on a more earthy, herbaceous, washed-out character. The wine is soft, angular, and beginning to display an austere character as the fruit continues to dry out. Time has not been kind to either the 1976 Chateauneuf du Pape vintage, or to Rayas. Imported by Martine's Wines, San Rafael, CA; tel. (415) 485-1800, Wines of France, Alain Junguenet, Mountainside, NJ; tel. (908) 654-6173, and Ideal Wines, Medford, MA; tel. (617) 395-3300
Critic scores
Robert Parker
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.