The Wine

Château Rayas is the singular estate of Châteauneuf-du-Pape, farmed by the Reynaud family on rare iron-rich sandy soils that lack the appellation's famous galets roulés. Old-vine Grenache, grown under a cool, pine-shaded northeastern exposure, is vinified with minimal intervention to preserve purity of fruit. The 2001 shows a lovely ruby-garnet colour, with an expressive nose of crushed strawberry and raspberry liqueur. The palate is sweet without being cloying, its silky texture carrying through to a finish marked by a whisper of garrigue and fine, soft tannin.

What Makes It Special

Rayas defies Châteauneuf convention: sandy, stoneless soils, a cooler northern exposure and low yields from decades-old Grenache vines produce a wine of unusual finesse and perfume rather than power. This singularity, paired with famously limited production, gives every bottling of Rayas a rarity and individuality matched by few other estates in the southern Rhône.