1985 Château Rayas Château de Fonsalette Côtes du Rhône Syrah Reserve
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Tasting notes
A backward, soft, inky/purple-colored wine, the 1985 Cuvee Syrah remains monolithic and unevolved. Tasted blind, it could easily be mistaken for a barrel sample from a recent vintage. It is still thick and juicy, with tremendous quantities of black fruits, particularly cassis, but there are no signs of evolution. Owners are advised to either drink it (if you like grapy, exuberant, uncomplicated, mouthfilling red wines), or give it another 2-6 years of cellaring and hope more complexity will emerge from this big, beefy wine. 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.