Recent tastings (Selosse, Duband, Rayas, ...)

Lovely wines :
Champagne Selosse Initiale
Champagne Agrapart Minéral 2009
Pomerol La Conseillante 1999 : a very good surprise for a classy, persistant expression.
David Duband Echézeaux 2013
François Cotat Sancerre Culs de Beaujeu 2005 : still very young, with this specific aroma of elderberry.

Interesting ones :
Camin Larredya Jurançon sec La Virada 2017
Domaine Pattes-Loup Chablis Vent d’Ange 2017

note : the usual exotic tastes of Thomas Pico’s wines can again lead to imagine a Jurançon.

Some deep doubts about Rayas red 2001 (seventh encounter), not as shinny as usually (the wine seems older, with tertiary tastes and lacks energy).
Anyone had it recently ?

Must have been a bad bottle - no doubt, my last was even a bit young …

Re: 2001 Rayas. I am opening my only bottle on Tuesday and will let you know. However, several recent CT TN’s mentioned tertiary, advanced characteristics.

That’s what I thought …

Tell us …

Last Week-end :
Agrapart Champagne Minéral BdN Extra Brut 2009 : 17/20
Expression encore un peu fermée, robuste, que j’imaginais en dominante de pinot noir (décidemment, deviner l’encépagement d’un champagne reste très aléatoire).

Vouette et Sorbée Champagne Fidèle Brut Nature : 17/20
Structuré et très strict.

François Cotat Sancerre Culs de Beaujeu 2005 : 17/20
La pointe de sureau est là pour trahir l’origine. Le vin est cela dit sur la réserve, dense et net, avec de la menthe et un peu de chaleur en finale.
Camin Larredya Jurançon sec La Virada 2017 : 16,5/20
Belle allure, fruitée (fruits exotiques), nerveuse (mais concentrée). Effluve de Rhum évoquant un peu Savennières (aromatiquement parlant).
Domaine Pattes-Loup Chablis Vent d’Ange 2017 : 16,5/17
Dotation fruitée et on peut initialement penser à un Montlouis. La touche exotique des vins de Thomas Pico est bien là, en écho au Jurançon bu juste avant.

David Duband Echézeaux 2013 : 18/20
Magnifique approche du pinot noir, florale, fruitée, épicée, avec de nobles notes de betterave fumée. Superbe texture, encore jeune évidemment, persistante.
Rappel :
David Duband Echézeaux 2013 : 17/20
Fin, parfumé, épicé (cumin), avec de fraîches notes d’agrumes. Coffre léger mais le vin s’étire longuement. Finale exotique, raffinée.


Rayas Châteauneuf-du-Pape rouge 2001 : (17/20)
Fleurs, épices, chocolat marqué mais je suis inquiété par un début tertiaire précoce (soja). J’ai de nombreuses fois goûté ce vin à haut niveau et j’en déduis un flacon probablement en défaut, car il ne possède ni la fraîcheur aromatique ni la vaillance structurelle escomptées.

Mas Delmas VdF « ceci n’est pas un rancio » 2014 : 14,5/15
Premier contact un peu ingrat à cause de la volatile (4 ans sous voile). Les choses s’arrangent ensuite pour un vin intéressant à goûter.

Selosse Champagne Initial Brut BdB : 18/20
Complexe avec des agrumes, une pointe d’oxydation parfaitement seyante. Extrêmement fin, tonique, digeste.

Pomerol La Conseillante 1999 : 18/20
Belle surprise pour un vin que je n’attendais pas à ce niveau. Race complexe (cassis, cèdre, graphite, truffe) sensuel en diable. Comme dans le cas du Selosse, il passe comme une lettre à la poste et il aurait fallu un magnum.

And also :

Champagne Beaumont des Crayères collection privée 1999 : 17,5/20

Willi Schaefer Graacher Himmelreich Riesling Kabinett 2015 : 17/20

Roussette de Savoie Dupasquier Marestel 2006 : 16,5/17 (an interesting wine, as always, evoking both chenin and pinot gris - a remarkable Q/P).

Chinon Joguet Clos du Chêne Vert 2001 : 16,5/17

Brunello Paradiso di Manfredi Riserva 2006 : 16,5/17

Vial-Magnères Banyuls ambré solera cuvée Bernard Sapéras : 18/20 (a confirmation)

I tried some Duband wines for the first time earlier this year and really liked them. Good reminder to try to buy some when I can find them.

I had an excellent Duband Vosne-Romanée 2008 (17/2) last year.
And also an excellent Duband Echézeaux 2007 (17,5/20) in 2014.

Yesterday evening, another excellent evening :

Foreau Brut Réserve 2007 : 16,5/20
Coche-Dury Meursault 2017 : 17/20 (wait, wait, wait)
Valette Mâcon Chaintré 2012 : 16,5/20
Palette Château Simone blanc 2010 : 16,5/17 (thought Tondonia Reserva 2005)
Savennières Coulée de Serrant 2005 : 17/20
Sagliette Barolo Brunate 2013 : 17/20
Il Colle Brunello di Montalcino 2013 : 16,5/20
François Cotat Sancerre Grande Côte 2007 : 16,5/17 (still young)
François Cotat Sancerre Grande Côte Cuvée Spéciale 1997 : 17/20
Barbeito Madère Verdelho 10 ans : 18/20
Vial-Magnières AOP Banyuls Grand Cru ’’André Magnères’’ 2007 : 17,5/20 (another 10 years excellent Banyuls tuilé,a young brother of the great 25 years Al Tragou)

So, I opened a 2001 and 2003 Rayas last night as part of my tasting group’s last monthly tasting of the year. They were opened about 5:30, decanted, and served blind about 6:30, a little earlier than I thought they would be poured. Initially, a little colder than I wanted and they hadn’t had enough air time to open up the way Rayas does in my experience.

The fill on the 2001 was almost touching the cork, and the bottle was in fine shape. After we guessed on the wines, we set them aside to air out, and went on to other wines. An hour or so later they had both opened up and showed pure grenache aromas typical of Rayas. The 2001 was fairly mature, ready to drink now or over the next 3-5 years. There was a very slight squashy note on the nose. I had a glass or so of each left in the decanters, and put it back in the bottles and finished them tonight, with little or no degradation overnight.

FYI, the 2003 was slightly preferred over the 2001.

Thank you,

I had Pignan 2003 in july 2019 (great : 18/20) and Rayas 2003 in november 2019 (great also : 18/20).
Rayas 2001, for me, is better than Rayas 2003 (a question of concentration and alcoholic balance, even if Rayas 2003 is still a signed wonder).
The last Rayas 2001 I has was slightly flawed (note that a friendanswered me that i recently has a somewhat tertiary Rayas 2001).

In 2019, I rated Rayas 2007 18/20, Rayas 2006 19/20 and Rayas 2005 20/20 …

Just fwiw: when I reported to Emmanuel Reynaud that I´ve made a tasting opening the Rayas wines 6 h in advance and then decanting for 20 min. he told me: Rayas needs to be opened the day before, 24+ hours … no matter which vintage …

The 2001 will be (imho) fully mature in about 2021-23 … and will keep on the apogée at least 10-15 years afterwards …
(of course only with perfect shipping and cellaring)

That sounds reasonable …