White Wine: 1996 | Chteau Rayas | Chateauneuf-du-Pape Reserve Blanc

The palate is an explosion of delicate flavors, nice and delightful mouthfeel. Quite delicate and smooth texture on the long finish.

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Producer: Chteau Rayas

Vintage: 1996

Size: 750ml

ABV: 13.5%

Varietal: Southern Rhone White Blend

Country/Region: France, Rhone

The palate is an explosion of delicate flavors, nice and delightful mouthfeel. Quite delicate and smooth texture on the long finish.

Producer Information

Chteau Rayas is a leading producer in the Chteauneuf-du-Pape appellation of the Rhne 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 Chteauneuf-du-Pape wines that typically contain Syrah, Mourvdre and a range of other varieties. Secondly, the estate’s 13 hectares (32 acres) of vineyard face north, and do not have any “galets rouls” the rounded stones so closely associated with the appellation and often found littering vineyard sites in Chteauneuf. Thirdly, the estate’s wines are matured in larger-format, “double-pice” 450-liter barrels. Chteau Rayas’ flagship Chteauneuf-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 chteau’s white Chteauneuf-du-Pape is generally made from Grenache Blanc and Clairette in roughly equaly proportions. Chteau Rayas has been in the Reynaud family since the 1880s. Owner Emmanuel Reynaud also makes the (highly priced) Chteau de Fonsalette and Pialade Ctes du Rhne wines at the Rayas winery.