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Chateau Rayas

2006 Chateau Rayas, Chateauneuf-du-Pape, Blanc

France Clairette Grenache Blanc Rhone Chateauneuf-du-Pape 750ML

Wine Advocate

94

Vinous

95

CellarTracker

92
/
2006 Chateau Rayas, Chateauneuf-du-Pape, Blanc
Chateau Rayas

2006 Chateau Rayas, Chateauneuf-du-Pape, Blanc

France Clairette Grenache Blanc Rhone Chateauneuf-du-Pape 750ML

Wine Advocate

94

Vinous

95

CellarTracker

92
/
3 In Stock
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Spoken about in hushed tones by many a collector, Chateau Rayas - and all of its arms from Fonsalette to Chateau des Tours - is known as the greatest Grenache producer in the world. After his uncle Jacques' passing in 1997, Emmanuel Reynaud has continually crafted phenomenal wines from each estate that are sought the world over.

Chateau Rayas

Several generations have run the Chateau Rayas, but Jacques Reynaud took the wines into the stratosphere, where Emmanuel has only served to keep them since his ascendance in 1997. Almost as reticent in accepting his fame as Jacques - who used to hide when cars would approach the Chateau - Emmanuel guards closely his recipe to the legendary wines escaping the estate every year.

We know that the vines are ancient and produce small, intense yields. There is no temperature-control in the cellars, and the wines ferment in concrete before being transferred to ancient barrels of several different sizes. That's it - no magic tricks, just patience; the wines will ferment for about a year, and then will be aged in bottle at the estates until they are deemed ready to drink; routinely vintages are released nearly a decade after their fermentations conclude.

The Chateau wines, Pignan and La Pialade are released from the Chateau Rayas' 13 hectares of red-sand, small-pebbled vineyards, surrounded by forests that create a cool microclimate.

Meet the Producer

Chateau Rayas

Spoken about in hushed tones by many a collector, Chateau Rayas - and all of its arms from Fonsalette to Chateau des Tours - is known as the greatest Grenache producer in the world. After his uncle Jacques' passing in 1997, Emmanuel Reynaud has continually crafted phenomenal wines from each estate that are sought the world over.

Several generations have run the Chateau Rayas, but Jacques Reynaud took the wines into the stratosphere, where Emmanuel has only served to keep them since his ascendance in 1997. Almost as reticent in accepting his fame as Jacques - who used to hide when cars would approach the Chateau - Emmanuel guards closely his recipe to the legendary wines escaping the estate every year.

We know that the vines are ancient and produce small, intense yields. There is no temperature-control in the cellars, and the wines ferment in concrete before being transferred to ancient barrels of several different sizes. That's it - no magic tricks, just patience; the wines will ferment for about a year, and then will be aged in bottle at the estates until they are deemed ready to drink; routinely vintages are released nearly a decade after their fermentations conclude.

The Chateau wines, Pignan and La Pialade are released from the Chateau Rayas' 13 hectares of red-sand, small-pebbled vineyards, surrounded by forests that create a cool microclimate.

The Wine Advocate

Wine Advocate

94

One of the more eccentric wines in the world is the Rayas Chateauneuf du Pape white. I have bottles of the 1990 that are spectacular, and others that are completely oxidized, all from the same cases. So go figure! The 2007 looks to have enormous potential, and under the winemaking of Emmanuel Reynaud, the wine has been more consistent. It never sees a day of oak, as it is kept on the second floor of Rayas in tank prior to bottling. On paper, this wine is an equal part blend of Grenache Blanc and Clairette, although I wouldn’t be surprised if a few other grapes made it into the final blend. For decades, there have been rumors that in some remote corner of the Rayas vineyards some Chardonnay is planted, although this has never been documented or proven. This full-bodied, powerful wine offers up incredible notes of pineapple, white currants, quince, flowers, poached pear, and caramelized tangerine. It is exotic in 2007, with some shockingly good acidity, but the problem is that there is not much of it, as under 500 cases are generally made in any vintage. This wine has legendary aging potential if you’re willing to take the gamble and wait, although the 2007 is good enough to drink now. Keep your fingers crossed on its evolution, which could be positive and last as long as two to three decades. The current releases of Fonsalette include the 2007 and 2008 Cotes du Rhone, as the 2009s will not be released until next year, and the 2010s the year after.

What the Critics are Saying

The Wine Advocate

Wine Advocate

94

One of the more eccentric wines in the world is the Rayas Chateauneuf du Pape white. I have bottles of the 1990 that are spectacular, and others that are completely oxidized, all from the same cases. So go figure! The 2007 looks to have enormous potential, and under the winemaking of Emmanuel Reynaud, the wine has been more consistent. It never sees a day of oak, as it is kept on the second floor of Rayas in tank prior to bottling. On paper, this wine is an equal part blend of Grenache Blanc and Clairette, although I wouldn’t be surprised if a few other grapes made it into the final blend. For decades, there have been rumors that in some remote corner of the Rayas vineyards some Chardonnay is planted, although this has never been documented or proven. This full-bodied, powerful wine offers up incredible notes of pineapple, white currants, quince, flowers, poached pear, and caramelized tangerine. It is exotic in 2007, with some shockingly good acidity, but the problem is that there is not much of it, as under 500 cases are generally made in any vintage. This wine has legendary aging potential if you’re willing to take the gamble and wait, although the 2007 is good enough to drink now. Keep your fingers crossed on its evolution, which could be positive and last as long as two to three decades. The current releases of Fonsalette include the 2007 and 2008 Cotes du Rhone, as the 2009s will not be released until next year, and the 2010s the year after.