1979 |Chteau Rayas | Chateauneuf du Pape

Introduction

Red Wine: 1979 | Chteau Rayas | Chateauneuf du Pape

The 1979 reveals a complex nose of dried herbs, leather, animal fur, black raspberries, cherries, and licorice. It is beginning to fade in the mouth, with the tannin and acidity poking through in the finish.

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Producer: Chteau Rayas

Ratings: WS | 95 WA | 90

Vintage: 1979

Size: 750ml

ABV: 14%

Varietal: Grenache

Country/Region: France, Southern Rhone

The 1979 reveals a complex nose of dried herbs, leather, animal fur, black raspberries, cherries, and licorice. It is beginning to fade in the mouth, with the tannin and acidity poking through in the finish.

Reviews:

• Wine Advocate: The 1979 reveals a complex nose of dried herbs, leather, animal fur, black raspberries, cherries, and licorice. It is beginning to fade in the mouth, with the tannin and acidity poking through in the finish.

• Wine Spectator: ripe, rich and exotic, it has a minty note along with black currant. Medium-bodied, it’s immensely supple and very balanced, with sweet-tasting fruit/

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.