Château Rayas

A Rhône legend, Château Rayas signifies the greatest production in Châteauneuf-du-Pape. As the sole, standout producer in the Southern Rhône, the château predates their oldest vines, with a history dating back to the 1880s. Originally founded by Albert Reynaud, his son Louis led the property to be one of the first in the region to bottle and sell their own wine. The estate has since remained in the family, and today, it is run by fourth and fifth generation father and son duo, Emmanuel and Louis Damien. The Reynaud family also owns, Château des Tours and Château Fonsalette. The property is made up of 23 hectares of land, with 12 hectares of vineyards in Châteauneuf-du-Pape; 10 of which are devoted to red wine production and the remaining to white wine. Their terroir and climate is quite unique to the region, with very fine, sandy soils and a cooler microclimate when compared to its neighbors’ vineyards scattered with rocks baking in the sun. It is here, that the secret to their legendary wines are found, the combination of great terroir and years of expertise passed down from generation to generation. Going from strength-to-strength with each new vintage, Château Rayas’ collection is one of the most collectible on the market. The main wine of Château Rayas is a traditional Châteauneuf-du-Pape which is made from 100% Grenache and showcases ripe and opulent fruit, with a limited production of around 1,100 cases per year. Their second wine, Pignan is produced from almost 100% old vine Grenache with a super-limited production of 650 cases per vintage. The estate also produces a white wine, made of equal proportions of Grenache Blanc and Clairette.