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  • Country ranking ?

    374
  • Producer ranking ?

    8
  • Decanting time

    3h
  • When to drink

    now to 2040
  • Food Pairing

    Braised Beef Short Ribs with White Truffle Oil

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The Story

One could become addicted to Rayas wines. The rich aromatic herbal reds and the intense complex whites. The red wines are unique. Contrary to the common belief that good Châteauneuf-du-Pape should be made from a blend of grape varieties, at Rayas only the Grenache is used and only old vines from north facing slopes. The result is a wine that will age for 20 years or more. A longer than normal period in cask only adds to the complexity and depth of the wines. These wines are full of personality. The Château Rayas red has a huge exotic bouquet with hints of black-cherry fruit and staggering concentration. On the palate the wine is almost Port like in texture with great intensity and gorgeous voluptuous flavours. 

The most iconic of all the Chateauneuf estates. The highly individual Jacques Reynaud was responsible for making this wine, only using the Grenache grape from very old, low yielding vines. However, this works as the property is on cooler sand and clay soils, whereas the typical Chateauneuf terrain consists of large flat stones which would excessively heat up the Grenache. Undoubtedly this is the most complex, rich, ripe and exotic of all the Chateauneufs, gloriously atypical and a rule unto itself.

 

Serena Sutcliffe, MW

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Information

Origin

Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Rhône

Vintage Quality

Excellent

Inside Information

It is no secret that this is among the leading estates in France and therefore the world. However, a visit there will leave one perplexed. After a dusty drive up an unmarked track for two miles north of Châteauneuf-du-Pape you come accross an unasuming and poorly kept building which looks to have been abandoned for some time. The late owner, the excentric Jacques Reynaud, was one of the most remarkable personalities of the world of wine .. many say he was a genius. He would make a visit to Rayas a memorable experience. In the dark dusty cellars wines of superlative quality are aged. Taking time to open a few bottles Jacques Reynaud would explain his approach to wine making. As we know, this was ultra traditional and we could only marvel at the nectar that comes from the delapited old ca delapidated old casks. The secret lies in the soil structure, the old vines and extremely low yields, not forgetting the cool microclimate and north facing exposure of the slopes.

 

Jacques Reynaud's grandfather originally came to Châteuneuf-du-Pape in 1894 but it was his father, Louis Reynaud that made Château Rayas what it is today. He believed in quality at all costs and advocated that the wines should be disturbed as little as possible. This very traditional approach and commitment to low yields was carried on by Jacques until his untimely death in the street at Avignon in January 1997. Today it is his sister Françoise and especially his nephew Emmanuel, owner of Château des Tours, Vacqueyras, who run the property, continuing the phylosophy and methods that have made Château Rayas one of the most outstanding wines of France. Château Rayas is by far the most expensive and long lived wine of Châteauneuf-du-Pape but no one contests the price of this truly remarkable product. 

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