Chateau Rayas Chateauneuf-du-Pape Rouge

In the glass

Aroma: cherry liqueur, autumn leaves, dried rose petal, garrigue, earth

Palate: raspberry coulis, pomegranate, warm spice, silky tannin, wild strawberry

100% Grenache from sandy soils at low yield; deceptively light in colour but profound in aromatic complexity, with ethereal red fruit, silky texture, and great longevity.

What it pairs with

• Roasted rack of lamb with thyme
  High-acid Grenache cuts lamb fat while red fruit mirrors the herb-roasted notes.
• Duck breast with cherry sauce
  Cherry fruit echoes the cherry and dried rose of old-vine Grenache.
• Pigeon roti
  Light-bodied but complex Grenache is a sommelier classic with roast pigeon.

History

Founded by Louis Reynaud in 1923 on north-facing sandy soils at the highest elevation in Chateauneuf, the estate is now managed by Emmanuel and Frederic Reynaud. Rayas is the world's most famous 100% Grenache and commands cult prices despite modest yields and no name recognition outside specialist circles.

1. 1923 — Louis Reynaud plants Grenache on sandy north-facing plateau in Chateauneuf
2. 1978 — Jacques Reynaud takes over winemaking; establishes minimal-intervention style
3. 1997 — Emmanuel Reynaud inherits the estate after Jacques Reynaud's death

Facts

Producer

Chateau Rayas

Grapes

Grenache (100%)

Classification

Chateauneuf-du-Pape AOC

Oak

Old large foudres, no new oak

ABV

13.5%

Price

EUR 300-700 at retail

Drinking window

5-30 from vintage

First vintage

1923

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