WTN: Wondrous 11 year old Cotes du Rhone

[Salil]

1998 Château de Fonsalette Côtes du Rhône Reserve (Second wine of Château Rayas)
Funky earthy and leathery aromatics at first, and with some air this picks up elements of smoke, violets, red fruits and white pepper. Stunning in the mouth - the label indicates 14% alcohol but from the first sip this feels incredibly light and graceful without any of the weight or density I expected, combining pepper, plum and red fruited notes with savoury earth and leathery elements. There's bright acidity underneath giving it lift and the tannins seem fully resolved. Finishes long and savoury; superb wine.

[Bob Parsons Alberta]

Sounds terrific, wonder if they declassified some other production?

[Salil]

I also know they do a Cuvee Syrah (this was the regular 'Reserve' CDR bottling), but I haven't seen that around.
Need to find one though - I understand this is a 50% Grenache blend with other Rhone varieties, and I was stunned at how the flavour profile leaned closer to a Cote-Rotie with all its white pepper, violet and smoky notes and nothing like a Chateauneuf. Would love to find out what their pure Syrah bottling tastes like in that case (if they're doing this with mostly Grenache!)

[Tony Fletcher]

Nice notes Salil, and by the sound of them, a lovely wine. No reason it shouldn't have been, what with the combination of Rayas & 1998.

Cheers

Tony

[Mark Lipton]

Sounds terrific, wonder if they declassified some other production?

Doubtful, Bob. Fonsalette is a privileged site, much like the Coudoulet of Beaucastel: both lie just beyond the official boundaries of CdP and make the case that the boundaries should be redrawn. No, it's not Rayas, but it's not ordinary Cotes du Rhone, either.

Mark Lipton

[SteveG]

Great note, Salil!, although I am not surprised, I had a bottle of this recently (May), and it was as fresh as could be. In fact I am lucky enough to have another bottle, I expect it to be fine for at least another couple of years. Fonsalette is most assuredly not ordinary CdR.