The Still & The VineSchool of Wine & Spirits
Château Rayas Châteauneuf-du-Pape Rouge 2019
Red WineIssue 49

Château Rayas Châteauneuf-du-Pape Rouge 2019

Château Rayas

2019 VintageChâteauneuf-du-Pape, Rhône Valley, France
Château Rayas defies everything you think you know about Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Made entirely from Grenache grown on sandy, north-facing plots, it achieves an elegance more commonly associated with Burgundy. This is one of the most singular red wines in the world — rare, expensive, and genuinely irreplaceable.

Kit Aromas

Tasting Notes

Nose

Red cherry and wild raspberry dominate, with delicate floral rose and violet accents. Beneath the fruit there is a subtle gamey quality and a faint mintiness that adds freshness.

Palate

Deceptively light in body for Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Cherry and berry flavors glide across the palate with extraordinary precision, joined by a cedar note and a whisper of vanilla from old oak. The tannins are fine-grained and almost weightless.

Finish

Long and ethereal. Cherry and floral rose persist, with a mineral undertone that pulls you back for another sip. This is a wine that finishes with a question, not a period.

Specifications
Varietal
Grenache
Blend
100% Grenache
Vineyards
Estate vineyards on sandy soils, north-facing slopes
Alcohol
14.5%
Organic / Biodynamic
No
Serve & Pair

Food Pairing

Roasted squab with juniper berries and a cherry reduction

The Story

The reclusive Reynaud family has farmed these sandy, stone-free vineyards in Châteauneuf-du-Pape for generations, producing from 100% Grenache a wine so atypical of the region that it has become its most coveted expression.

Train These Aromas
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