Château Rayas is one of the great names in French wine. Many connoisseurs consider it to be the best in the appellation. The estate was created relatively recently (the vines were planted in the early 1920s) by Louis Reynaud, who quickly distinguished himself from the typical practices of Châteauneuf du Pape. In this traditionally sunny region, part of the vineyard faces north and the vines here benefit from the cooling qualities of the pine trees that grow around the property. Louis Reynaud also concentrated mainly on a single grape variety, Grenache, even though 13 are authorised within the appellation. His son Jacques, considered unconventional, even eccentric, took over the business and achieved new heights of quality with the wines using traditional techniques. Today, Château Rayas is run by his nephew Emanuel Reynaud.
A special feature of this Châteauneuf du Pape is its blend, which contains an overwhelming proportion of Grenache grapes - around 98 %. Favouring low yields (barely 18 hectolitres per hectare), the winemaker seeks to let an exceptional terroir speak for itself: the sandy soil does not contain the famous poudingues so typical of the appellation (Louis Reynaud is said to have removed them by hand! ). Fermentation takes place in concrete vats and the wine is aged for 20 months in old oak barrels. Château Rayas reaches a peak of smoothness in the great vintages. Extraordinary aromas of cherry and raspberry characterise this wine, whose refinement and power are unequalled in the appellation.
