The world's finest Grenache is from ...

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Their top of the line - Aquillon - is very tasty, but not up to Rayas. There is a purity in Rayas that comes through clearly and is different from all the others - and I love Saxum. The Moncayo Veraton, which used to be in the $15 range, but is not much more, was an outstanding value Grenache.

HA! If I recall correctly, the Rayas I’ve had have all been in the upper 15% alcohol range?

Great Grenache (which thrives in hot dry climates) is flammable!

Not my Rayas!

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Either you’re special counselor, or I am off base. Probably both!

And you believe the label??? I’ve run alcohols on many CdPs. Some claim 13.5 and are 16+%. I can guarantee you that your Rayas wines are north of 15%. It’s the nature of Grenache, despite what the label says.

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Never had a Rayas. At $250/bottle it’s a very distant radar return, but not completely out of radar range. :smiley:

Rayas is one of the trophy wines that actually can live up to the hype. I’ve never had a Grenache that comes close. If you can find the ‘08, it’s often not stratospherically priced and is absolutely beautiful and pretty open.

Has anyone seen an offer for the '16?

At $250 I’ll take all you can load into my car. 2016? I think the 09 just came out!

Yeah, I think Rayas at $250 in the US is long gone.

For my taste, the answer is absolutely Rayas.

The 1992 Bonneau Cuvée Celestins is far and away the best bottle of Grenache of I’ve ever had, and nothing else (including Rayas) has come close.

I remain puzzled at all the Comando G love. It’s Grenache that’s masquerading as pinot, yet manages to be neither. And I love pinot.

Just to provide a different view: not Rayas for my taste. Hasn’t wowed me texturally when I’ve tried it, and flavour profile is ok. Alvaro Palacios l’Ermita from the late 90s / early 00s have been my favourite. Ridiculous pricing now, of course, makes Rayas look cheap :slight_smile:! Given I dislike Grenache generally, probably not a particularly useful opinion:)

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RAYAS !!!

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I’m not even sure if 2011 is already released . You should ask Gerhard

To me the top 5 grenache ever are Usseglio Not For You 2007, Clos Saint Jean Sanctus Sanctorum 2016, Clos Erasmus 20013, Pégau 2003 Capo, SQN 2005, Rayas 2005… All different styles.

2009 is out, and in Europe at least some clients seem to have been allocated 2010s.

Rayas … from far …
Rayas red 2005 last year : 20/20
Rayas rouge 2006 : 19/20 (drank in Maranones vineyard with Fernando Garcia and his team).
Rayas Red 2007 last week : 18,5/20

130 euros if you are lucky enough to buy it directly (try not to miss another Emmanuel Reynaud’s exceptional Grenache : Châteauneuf-du-Pape Pignan).

Henri Bonneau cuvée spéciale 1998 : 19/20
Clos des Papes 2016 (an exceptional vintage) : 18,5/20 (in 2019)
Beaucastel 2016 great too (18/20)


I recently tasted great wines at the domains :
Terroir al Limit Les Manyes 2017 : 19/20 (a wine probably quite fragile)
Alvaro Palacios L’Ermita 2019 : 19/20 (not pure grenache)

In Sierra de Gredos, ComandoG produces great grenache too …
Las Umbrias, El Reventon, Rumbo al Norte.


Worth trying (but not as exceptional as the wines described above) :
Afrique du Sud : Swartland – Sadie Family « Soldaat » 2014
Australie Rusden « Christine’s vineyard » Barossa Valley Grenache 1998

Can’t even get the Fonsalette for that price, ugh.

Not Grenache but Chateau des Tours havent impressed me so far.