2008 | Château Rayas | Chateauneuf du Pape Blanc Supply

2008 | Château Rayas | Chateauneuf du Pape Blanc

White Wine: 2008 | Château Rayas | Chateauneuf du Pape Blanc

Pure and penetrating citrus and mineral flavors pack a serious punch and show a strong spicy quality on the back end. Finishes with resonating mineral and spice notes, an almost oily texture and outstanding persistence.

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Producer: Château Rayas

Ratings: WC | 96  JR | 95

Vintage: 2008

Size: 750ml

ABV: 14%

Varietal: Southern Rhone White Blend

Country/Region: France, Rhone

Detailed Description

The wine is bright yellow. Expansive, highly aromatic bouquet of orange, pear and flowers, with notes of talc and anise coming up with air. Pure and penetrating citrus and mineral flavors pack a serious punch and show a strong spicy quality on the back end. Finishes with resonating mineral and spice notes, an almost oily texture and outstanding persistence.

Reviews:

• Wine Advocate: Bright yellow. Expansive, highly aromatic bouquet of orange, pear and flowers, with notes of talc and anise coming up with air. Pure and penetrating citrus and mineral flavors pack a serious punch and show a strong spicy quality on the back end. Finishes with resonating mineral and spice notes, an almost oily texture and outstanding persistence. I’d love to see this next to some high-end grand cru Burgundies. Emmanuel Reynaud told me that yields were off by over 70% in 2008 so this will be a rare bird.

• Jancis Robinson: Pale. Very rich – richer than the Fonsalette – yet with great verve. Heady, almost fat yet redeemed with really quite complex aromas I associate with white blossom. How does he coax this freshness out of those ancient casks?

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.