2007 - Rayas Blanc Chateauneuf Du Pape

" The 2007 Rayas Chateauneuf du Pape blanc has turned out to be fabulous. One of the strongest vintages I have yet tasted of this tank-aged blend of equal parts Grenache Blanc and Clairette, it is a flowery white offering notions of honeyed citrus and pears. This full-bodied, powerful wine possesses good acidity and tremendous purity as well as depth. It is impossible to predict how these wines will age (some last for 30-40 years without oxidation, whereas others tend to oxidize quickly), but the 2007 is a sumptuous example of a white Rayas Chateauneuf du Pape. It is one of the most limited cuvees of the appellation as fewer than 400 cases are produced in a given vintage. "