2007 | Château Rayas | Chateauneuf du Pape Blanc

2007 was a superb year for the Southern Rhône and this is a wonderful release now absolutely perfect for drinking. It is full-bodied and powerful so serving alongside food is definitely recommended, with decanting also being of potential benefit. Wine offers up incredible notes of pineapple, white currants, quince, flowers, poached pear, and caramelized tangerine.

Reviews:

• Wine Advocate: This full-bodied, powerful wine offers up incredible notes of pineapple, white currants, quince, flowers, poached pear, and caramelized tangerine. It is exotic in 2007, with some shockingly good acidity, but the problem is that there is not much of it, as under 500 cases are generally made in any vintage. This wine has legendary aging potential if you’re willing to take the gamble and wait, although the 2007 is good enough to drink now. Keep your fingers crossed on its evolution, which could be positive and last as long as two to three decades. Drink through 2032.

• Jancis Robinson: Grenache Blanc 50%, Clairette 50%. Dense and savoury on the nose and then – kerpow – a vibrant syrup, though not sweet. 'Here you’re in a deeper armchair,' smiled Reynaud as he watched us tasting it. Honey, yet raciness too. So rich. We congratulated him. 'It’s nature', he shrugged.

Producer Information

Château Rayas is a leading producer in the Châteauneuf-du-Pape appellation of the Rhône Valley. It is one of the region's most prestigious estates, and its wines fetch some of the highest prices in southern France. Much about Rayas is unusual. Firstly, the estate's red wine is made solely from Grenache, unlike most Châteauneuf-du-Pape wines that typically contain Syrah, Mourvèdre and a range of other varieties. Secondly, the estate's 13 hectares (32 acres) of vineyard face north, and do not have any "galets roulés" – the rounded stones so closely associated with the appellation and often found littering vineyard sites in Châteauneuf. Thirdly, the estate's wines are matured in larger-format, "double-piéce" 450-liter barrels. Château Rayas' flagship Châteauneuf-du-Pape label is known for its sweet, pure fruit and silky texture, and has a reputation as one of the best wines in the appellation for longer-term aging. The second label, Pignan, is also 100 percent Grenache, and tends to be gutsy and ripe and not quite so polished in style as the top cuvee. The château's white Châteauneuf-du-Pape is generally made from Grenache Blanc and Clairette in roughly equaly proportions. Château Rayas has been in the Reynaud family since the 1880s. Owner Emmanuel Reynaud also makes the (highly priced) Château de Fonsalette and Pialade Côtes du Rhône wines at the Rayas winery. Château des Tours in Vacqueyras is a separate estate and winery, under the same ownership.

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