I was privileged to be invited to a dinner at Sala featuring 8 vintages of Chateau Rayas, one of the most highly regarded properties in Chateauneuf du Pape.
For starters with the Blue swimmer crab salad with tomatoes, leaves and saffrom aioli we had:
Alvarinho Dorado Superior 2004 - From Portugal. Sauvignon Blanc-like nose. Good fruit. Lemony, high acidity. Very refreshing. A neutral pairing for the salad. Perhaps a heavier or oaked wine would have gone better with the creamy crustacean.
The reds were divided into 2 flights, 4 lighter vintages with the fish and 4 with the duck.
The fish was a beautifully cooked Porcini seared grouper fillet on a leek and pancetta risotto. With this dish were:
Chateau Rayas 1992 - Berryish nose at first and then later some stewed fruit aromas betraying the age of this wine. On the palate, still quite youthful. Good sweet fruit. Soft. Finishes long. Excellent and perfect now.
Chateau Rayas 1994 - Sweet, slightly meaty nose. Smoky. Very soft. Sweet. Leather. Finishes a bit short. Seems past best. I think most agreed this was the weakest wine we had.
Chateau Rayas 1996 - Medium bodied. Sweet. More structure than the last 2 wines. Long, spicy finish. Quite complex. Although very good now, it could possibly develop a bit more.
Chateau Rayas 2002 - A rained out vintage but Rayas still managed to make a very good wine. Nice strawberry, raspberry like nose. Very light color. Sweet. Very easy to drink. A quaffer with only 11.4% alcohol. If served to me blind I would have guessed Beaujolais. Charming wine.
We then moved on to the Roast duck breast with cauliflower flan, lentils and fine beans:
Chateau Rayas 2001 - Slightly hot on the nose. Vibrant, lively wine. Seems a little tight and based on the older wines, probably needs a bit more time to open up although it is a very attractive drink now.
Chateau Rayas 1999 - Very nice, floral, nose. Rich. Very fruity. Lots of stuffing in a deceptively light body. Good complexity. Well balanced. Excellent.
Chateau Rayas 1998 - Slightly hot. Lots of fruit. Fig and plum. Reminds me of Amarone. Soft, ready, well-integrated. Excellent.
Chateau Rayas 1985 - Smooth, sweet and spicy. Astonishingly youthful. Seamless. Virtually perfect now. Outstanding.
Most of the wines had about 14% alcohol but were so well balanced that it hardly showed except for a bit of heat on the nose. This just goes to show that high alcohol is not a problem if the wine is put together well. The sweetness of the wines also surprised me. I think it added to the complexity, charm and the ease with which these wines can be consumed. It is also remarkable that there is no heaviness at all here as all the wines were just light or medium-bodied.
With blue cheese, dates and fruity bread and later with lemon brulee tart with vanilla ice cream and strawberries we had:
Chateau Climens 1986 - By this time my notes had deteriorated to the point that I merely noted "Very good. Classic Sauternes nose. Hint of tobacco leaf. A bit light."
A great evening of excellent wines,food and company.
