A riddle: It comes once a year, is a vinous Holy Grail, and is allocated in quantities that rarely exceed two counting hands. The answer is Rayas, and you’ll never forget your first stimulating smell. It absorbs every wildly perfumed aroma on planet earth and then confounds those who try to decipher its haunting aromas in the glass—I’ve been in a room where people have labeled it their all-time favorite wine
before taking a sip.
Very few wines in the world have such a distinct yet mystifying aromatic makeup, and that’s because Rayas comes from ancient Grenache vines buried in fine sand that are surrounded by towering, guardian pine trees—a terroir that no other Châteauneuf-du-Pape vineyard can replicate. Normally, Château Rayas, like First Growth Bordeaux and Grand Cru Burgundy, doesn’t start hitting its full stride until at least 15-20 years after the vintage, but 2008 showcased elegance over power (which I crave) and the result is a pitch-perfect expression of Rayas’ unique, chill-inducing style that can be fully enjoyed right now. Still, it’s alluring wild fruits, savory herbs, and lush vibrancy will allow it to keep gracefully evolving as years pass by. Only one per person.
The extended Reynaud family first acquired the now-legendary Château Rayas in 1880, but it wasn’t made famous until Louis and Jacques Reynaud took over. Having influenced an entire region by upholding tradition and exposing the greatness of its wines to outsiders, this father-son team will forever be in the annals of Rhône winemaking. Jacques led a private life, making hauntingly beautiful wines that soared in demand and price, but he never once made a blip on the “ego radar. He was a traditionalist farmer through and through: A spindly, hard-to-find dirt road wound its way up to the antiquated estate and electricity didn’t make an appearance here until the late 1980s. If someone wanted to visit the estate, booking an appointment was rarer than a white Christmas in Hawaii.
As his career progressed, Jacques became known as “the godfather of Châteauneuf-du-Pape,” so when his unexpected death came in 1997, the wine world lost their breath. Who would take over? His wife tapped the shoulder of their nephew, Emmanuel Reynaud, who was the winemaker at his father’s estate, Château des Tours, in nearby Vacqueyras. He, too, is a true-blue farmer, and although it took some years to find the soulful, inimitable style that Jacques created, it is almost unanimously agreed that the 2005 vintage was Rayas’ return to fame.
The special sites used for Rayas’ flagship Réservé and all are situated in fine-grained sand that makes these 70-year-old vines struggle in the best possible way. Lofty pine trees, or pignans, (also the name of Rayas’ second wine) flank and protect these senior vines from harsh elements. This cooler microclimate usually means that Rayas is the last to harvest in Châteauneuf-du-Pape. In the winery, grapes remain on their stems and a long, natural fermentation and maceration occur without any temperature control. The wine is racked once and rests a few months in enamel vats before being transferred into old French casks of various sizes. The wine is bottled without fining or filtration two years after the vintage. Just pure, traditional winemaking from start to finish.
In the glass, Rayas’ 2008 Réservé shows a bright ruby red core with slight brick orange at the rim. This isn’t as big and hedonistic as some warmer vintages, but it doesn’t sacrifice any signature aromas: You’ll find black cherry, kirsch, wild raspberries, dried mushroom, garrigue, sandalwood, herbes de Provence, red licorice, anise, and a cooling menthol sensation. The elegant palate is pushing medium-plus bodied and is eerily Pinot-like with generous Mediterranean flair. It offers plenty of savory herbs and wild, supple fruit next to a piquant rush of minerality; just an elegantly profound piece of art. That’s the magic of Rayas. As mentioned, you can certainly drink this now: Pull the cork 1-2 hours before and serve in Burgundy stems around 65 degrees, or, hold off for 10+ years if you want to see what it can accomplish. Cheers!
