Château de Rayne Vigneau 2000

Medium yellow. On the nose, a dull bouquet with cooked notes: yellow plums, chamomile, a somewhat clumsy opening. On the palate, surprisingly ripe, rather flat acidity that doesn’t add much to the wine’s appeal; the finish shows molasses and mineral, even medicinal tones. Correct, not a very good Rayne Vigneau.

01: Barrel sample (14/20): a hard-to-approach bouquet; wet wool, freshly cut mushrooms, sweaty notes, cooked fruit. On the palate, no clear fruit profile either, with a mineral undertone, Alka-Seltzer, and a papery, unharmonious finish. Is this the final blend? If so, this vintage would have been better declassified! 03: Medium yellow. Dull, cooked-leaning bouquet, yellow plums, chamomile; a bit clumsy on the attack. On the palate the wine already shows surprisingly mature, but here too the rather flat acidity does little for the wine’s appeal; the finish brings molasses and mineral, if not even medicinal, notes. A decent wine, but unfortunately not a very good Rayne-Vigneau. 15/20 drink – 2015

Golden colour, lacking definition and substance for its classification level and terroir, but overall it is of course still enjoyable to taste.

Slight oxidation and dilution on the finish; overall, it lacks richness and length.

Sun-yellow color. Bright. Green highlights. Nose of medium intensity. Fruity. Notes of warm butter, fresh almond and spices. A profile far more concentrated and substantial than Sigalas Rabaud and Guiraud. Rich and almost compact when swirled. The palate is simpler than the nose would suggest. The wine is round, very young, but lacks the finesse of Guiraud and the vitality of Sigalas Rabaud. Present on the mid-palate, it drops off quickly on the finish, while still remaining good.