2012 Chateauneuf du Pape Pignan
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Tasting notes
Light ruby-hued and revealing a brilliant perfume of sweet kirsch, orange zest, Provençal garrigue, sappy rose petals, and exotic flowers, the 2012 Châteauneuf Du Pape Pignan is every bit as good as the Cuvée Réserve, if not even better. It's medium to full-bodied on the palate, with a round, layered, seamless, and expansive mouthfeel, soft tannins, and a great finish. It's a touch denser than the classic cuvée but maybe not quite as seamless, and it's just an absolute joy to drink today. This beautiful wine has another decade of prime drinking ahead of it. Drink 2025-2035.
Critic scores
Average Score
Jancis Robinson MW
Jeb Dunnuck
More reviews and scores
Up with the crème de la crème of the vintage, the 2012 Châteauneuf du Pape Lieu Dit Pignan is 100% Grenache that was raised all in stainless steel tanks. Perfumed, sexy and downright hedonistic, this beauty gives up tons of wild strawberry, licorice, violets, and wild flower aromas and flavors. Full-bodied, concentrated and with a big mid-palate, it has terrific purity of fruit, sweet tannin and a great finish. This is full-throttle Châteauneuf-du-Pape that remains fresh, lively and oh so drinkable. Enjoy it anytime over the coming 10-12 years.
Vivid ruby-red. Sexy, highly perfumed aromas of blackberry, cherry compote, potpourri and minerals, with a hint of smokiness emerging slowly. Supple and expansive in the mouth, offering concentrated dark fruit, spicecake and floral pastille flavors that gain sweetness with air. The spicy quality carries through the persistent, penetrating finish, which is firmed by supple, harmonious tannins.
Deep red. Sexy, high-pitched aromas of fresh red berries, lavender and Indian spices, plus a touch of olive. Sappy and precise, with very good lift and clarity to its black raspberry and bitter cherry flavors. Puts on weight with air and finishes sappy, penetrating and very long, with slow-building tannins. Quite rich and powerful for this bottling but still elegant.
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.