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, if not secluded, 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 form. 

The special sites used for Rayas’ flagship Réservé 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 occurs 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. The thundering power of Rayas’ full-bodied 2009 is a spectacle to behold. It is remarkably intoxicating and powerful, bursting at the seams with raspberry liqueur, kirsch, wild strawberries and plum, spicy licorice, sandalwood, cacao, and a potent blend of purple/red flowers, dried garrigue, and white pepper. And yet, it reveals astonishing grace and poise every step of the way. As always, Rayas showcases what is perhaps the greatest balancing act of elegance and power on planet earth. It’s also among the rarest wine gems out there, so please treat it accordingly! Cellar as long as possible.