Review: Chateau Rahoul 1990 Rouge
- vinterest
- Dec 27, 2014
- 2 min read
The low-down: A 24 year old delight from the renowned Chateau Rahoul in Graves. Graves (AOC) is a commune in Bordeaux named after its distinct gravelly soil. It is situated on the left bank and one of the few Bordeaux communes that produce first class red, white and sweet wine.
Chateau Rahoul was established in 1646 by the knight Guillaume Rahoul. Since then the ownership has transferred a number of times and was acquired by the Dourthe group in 2007. The domaine has 33 ha under vine scattered across 54 plots in five different areas within Graves. 90% of the domaine's vine and production is devoted to their red wine, with the remainder to white.
The Dourthe group is owned by Alain Thienot (of champagne renown). They also own Chateau la Garde from neighbouring Pessac Leognan whose 2006 vintage we tasted in October this year.
The Dourthe group owns 6 vineyards across Bordeaux and 400 ha under vine. It's not a coincidence that the last few Bordeaux we have tasted are owned by large conglomerates (e.g. Chateau Fombrauge) reflecting the commercialization and consolidation of the Bordeaux wine industry.
1990 was an exceptional year for Bordeaux. This blend is majority merlot with cabernet sauvignon and hints of petit verdot. We opened the Chateau Rahoul 2005 rouge 18 months ago, and very excited today to open their 1990 vintage!
We picked this up for E45 from one of our favourite independent retailers in France: La Petite Cave de St Paul (http://www.cavesaintpaul.fr/) located in the delightful village of St Paul de Vence in the South of France.
The take: On appearance a deep rusty auburn red. You can really see the age by the layered white, orange, red edge. Clear, with little legs. On the nose, herbaceous, gamey, vanilla dominates. With time tobacco box, pepper and hints of menthol. On the attack, very smooth and surprisingly very strong. Still quite grippy, effervescent, it takes time to open up. Spicy with hints of blackberry and fig.
In closing: Intricate, complex, surprisingly strong - love this.
Rating: 9 out of 10.
Fact corner:
Country: France
Region: Graves (AOC)
Producer: Chateau Rahoul
Vintage: 1990
Grape: Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot
Alcohol content: 12.5%
Serving temperature: n/a
Price range: Premium
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