History of Château Rayas 2010, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
The history of Château Rayas is that of the Reynaud family. Founded in 1880 by Albert Reynaud, a 45-year-old deaf notary who decided to turn his hand to wine. He buys a 15-hectare wine estate and vineyard in the Rayas area, which he manages until 1910.
In 1920, Albert Reynaud's son Louis set his sights on bottling the wine, marking the start of local and national distribution. In 1938, Louis bought
Château des Tours, which he entrusted to his son Bernard. Then, in 1945, he became the owner of
Château de Fonsalette, a ten-hectare estate.
In 1978, Jacques Reynaud succeeded his father Louis and took over the reins of Château Rayas and Château de Fonsalette. He is keen to understand soil balance and its impact on wine quality. An atypical character, he took his wines to the heights of quality, using traditional techniques. Sadly, Jacques died suddenly in 1997. His nephew Emmanuel Reynaud, who had already been running Château des Tours since 1989, is now at the helm of all three estates.
With the help of his employees, Emmanuel Reynaud strives to develop Château Rayas, Château de Fonsalette and Château des Tours.
Grape varieties and characteristics of Rayas 2010
In a region traditionally suffocated by summer sunshine, part of the vineyard faces north. Pine forests line the estate, cooling the vines. This Châteauneuf-du-Pape is very special in that its blend is 98% Grenache. Emmanuel Reynaud favors low yields and lets an exceptional terroir express itself: sandy soil that does not contain the famous bed of pebbles typical of the appellation.
Château Rayas produces wines with different degrees of alcohol. The 2010 vintage has an alcohol content of 14°, giving it a turbid color. The nose is archetypal, very distinctive, with hints of figs, oriental spices, dried flowers and crushed strawberries. On the palate, this wine is smooth with magnificent length and complexity. This is a wine that can easily last several decades.
Robert Parker score 96/100.
We offer other vintages of Château Rayas such as
1988,
1995,
2001,
2004,
2009
