Château Rayas Dinner - Recap

by Edouard Bourgeois
Friday, November 18, 2022

There is Châteauneuf du Pape, and there is Chateau Rayas.

We were reminded of that at restaurant La Mercerie Wednesday for our first dinner to kick off La Tablée this week. Martine Saunier, the grande dame who has been importing Rayas since 1969, was present with her successor Gregory Castells. The two gave fabulous insights and shared anecdotes for the pleasure of all the guests. One of them, told by Martine, was about the first time she visited the domaine. She arrived in the afternoon and was told that Mr. Reynaud was taking a nap. So she waited, for a good hour. Eventually, Jacques Reynaud arrived to greet her and the rest is history. Gregory then told his first time story of going to the domaine. He and his wife, who is Japanese, entered the cellar with Jacques’ nephew Emmanuel. Greg had told his wife to take as many pictures as she could. Emmanuel eventually got upset and cut the tasting short, feeling he was under the shooting fire of a paparazzo. Gregory would later tell Emmanuel: “well, she can’t help it, she is Japanese after all” these stories brought a smile on everyone’s faces, but the wines also did their part.

Martine Saunier shares her anecdotes

So, what makes Rayas unique? Four main factors:

The domaine is in the north of the appellation, exposed to the wind, surrounded by woods, and it is planted on sand. The sand at Rayas is almost like that found on a beach. Gregory explained that on a hot day, the sand is really hot to the hand when exposed to the sunlight but in the shade it remains cool. And if you dig a little, even on the hottest afternoon of July, you will find moisture, explaining that vines do not suffer from a lack of water. The canopy is expertly managed, according to the exposure to the sun, so the grapes are protected from excessive sunlight. The property is in fact divided into three plots: Le levant (where the sun rises), Le Coeur (the heart of the vineyard) and Le Couchant (where the sun sets). Each plot is harvested at a different time to reflect the ripening delay

Château Rayas also distinguishes itself from other Châteauneuf du Pape properties with their use of very old barrels or the choice made by the family to only release after many years (currently, it is the 2010 vintage that is being commercialized).

But ultimately, it is the magic touch of four generations of Reynaud that makes the difference at Rayas.

Gregory Castells

Here are my tasting notes:

Château Rayas Blanc 2007: I tasted this wine after being opened for a couple hours and it still had energy. A strong personality for this equal part blend of Clairette and Grenache Blanc. Also the rarest wine at the domaine. The wine had a lovely nose of dry almonds and great viscosity.

Chateau Pignan 2010: This was one of my favorite wines of the night. An exuberant nose of dried flowers, a very fine wine with amazing glycerol, and a sweet core of juicy fruit.

Chateau de Fonsalette Syrah 2006: Of course this wine stood out because of the grape. The Syrah expressed its haunting smokey aroma and I particularly enjoyed the fine grained tannins.

Chateau Rayas 2010: Even after a few hours of double decanting and sitting in the glass, I thought the nose was still timid. A better performance on the palate but I guess it is the current release for a reason!

Chateau Rayas 2009: If there was one wine I was the least impressed with, that would be the one. 2009 was a hot year, and it showed. The heat was noticeable on the nose and palate, making the wine a bit more dull than the others. These comments should be taken with a grain of salt as I know I would be really happy drinking this wine with a nice meaty stew and great company. But for the sake of vintage comparison, it was not my favorite.

Chateau Rayas 2008: Top notch! Quite a surprise considering that 2008 was not considered a great vintage for the appellation, but once again, this is Rayas. The wine was incredibly expressive and multi-layered. An expansive bouquet of spices, fragrant flowers and smoke. I can still taste it in my memory.

Chateau Rayas 2007: It was easy to miss after the show-stopper performance of the 2008 but 07 proved to be a very fine bottle with delicate acidity and a feather touch texture.

Chateau Rayas 2006: A good bottle with a bit less structure and a bit less fruit. Maybe a wine worth waiting for a bit longer.

Chateau Rayas 2005: Another favorite of mine. Grandiose, huge character with a very meaty flavor profile.

Chateau Rayas 2004: Being served right after 2005 didn’t help this more discreet vintage. 2004 appeared a bit meager and unfortunately suffered the comparison.

Chateau Rayas 1995: Polarizing wine apparently. My colleague Raj liked it more than I did. I found the aromatics a bit too funky, if not slightly maderized. It reminded me of old leather, something a bit dirty about it.

Chateau Rayas 1994: Once again, not a noted vintage for the region but I thought this was a lovely bottle. Lighter on its feet and pretty. Although it is customary to build a crescendo evolution starting with lighter wines and finishing with the more powerful ones, I thought the 1994 arrived at the perfect time to kind of “reset” the palate before the unanimous “wine of the night”: the 1989.

Chateau Rayas 1989: From tasting it right off the bat after I pulled the cork till seven hours later, the juice in that magnum was perfect and stayed fresh and vivid. People who have had this wine before agreed this was the best bottle they’ve ever had. Pristine condition. I don’t really have tasting notes for this one. Just perfect harmony and a extremely deep aromatic complexity.