2010 Chateau Rayas Pignan Chateauneuf du Pape Reserve [V94][WA93]

"Bright ruby-red. Intensely perfumed red fruit and floral aromas are complicated by notes of Asian spices and minerals. Extremely fresh on the palate, offering nervy redcurrant and raspberry flavors and a strong spicy underpinning. A zesty note of blood orange comes up with air and adds a tangy edge to the long, precise, floral-accented finish. A very sexy wine that's surprisingly approachable now, especially compared to its big brother." 

"The 2010 Pignan Chateauneuf du Pape (100% Grenache from 30 year old vines) is the lightest of the 2010s. The color is a medium translucent ruby and the nose exhibits delicious notes of garrigue, lavender, sweet kirsch, strawberries and loamy soil. I could have drunk this delicious effort directly from the demi-muids in which it was aging."