Chateau Rayas, Chateauneuf-du-Pape Reserve, Rhône, France, 2007

LABEL CONDITION ISSUE

Overview of the Wine
A small ten-hectare vineyard, in the heart of the woods, planted in very poor, sandy soil producing wines with great finesse. In the heart of the southern Rhône Valley appellation vineyards, Emmanuel Reynaud offers up his Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée wines featuring Châteauneuf du Pape, Côtes du Rhône, Vacqueyras and Côtes du Rhône Village.

Both red and white, these wines are the fruit of the vineyards of a number of different domains: Château Rayas, Château Fonsalette and Château des Tours signed the Reynaud family, wine-growers from one generation to the next since 1880.

Today these wines are matured in the cellars of two estates Château Rayas and Château des Tours. 

Winemaker
Emmanuel Reynaud 

Grape / Blend
Grenache

Origin
Rhône, France

Winemaker's Tasting Notes
Opens with a feminine, weightless, and mineral-driven character featuring waves of black raspberry, Asian spice, and blood orange. Its creamy, sensuous finish lingers with fresh acidity.

98 Points - Jeb Dunnuck
This was a brilliant showing by the 2007 Châteauneuf du Pape Reserve from Rayas, the finest bottle I’ve had to date. Offering a classic ruby color as well as gorgeous notes of kirsch liqueur, sappy green herbs, flowers, and rose petals, this beauty hits the palate with a full-bodied, rich, yet also fresh and vibrant texture that carries nicely integrated acidity and fine tannin. It’s certainly one of the gems in this great vintage and is going to have a long life. I’d be thrilled to drink bottles any time over the coming 15+ years.

97 Points - The Wine Advocate
I think the Rayas 2007 Chateauneuf du Pape will turn out to eclipse the 2005. It is unequivocally the finest wine made here since Emmanuel Reynaud’s uncle, the late Jacques Reynaud, produced his brilliant 1995. This wine was just released this year, with the 2008 coming on the market in the next few months. The 2007 is a relatively dark ruby/purple-tinged wine, more intensely colored than most Rayas Chateauneufs tend to be, since they are made from 100% Grenache and color has never been one of their hallmarks. The extraordinarily youthful and still burgeoning aromatics of black raspberries, black cherries, truffles and licorice lead to a full-bodied, powerful Rayas with sweet tannin, adequate acidity, and an ethereal richness and unctuosity that delicately offers a sensual texture. It is full-bodied, concentrated and approachable, but won’t hit its peak for at least another 4-5 years and will last for 25 or more. This is a spectacular Rayas, the likes of which hasn’t existed at this qualitative level since 1995.

 Product size: 750ml