iDealWine Auction Report: The exceptional Rayas galaxy

Recent iDealwine online auctions featured one particular showstopper: Château Rayas, an impressive wine that has an almost mythical reputation.

‘The success of the wines of Château Rayas has not waned at auction and has been particularly strong in the last few months’

THE HISTORY of Rayas dates back to 1880, when the current owner’s greatgrandfather, Albert Reynaud, a notary of Avignon, bought an estate in the locality of Rayas in Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Very typical of the time, the domaine operated with polyculture, focusing on vines, olives and apricots. Taking over from his father in 1920, Louis Reynaud was interested especially in the vines and went on to study agriculture in Angers. He was the one that gradually developed Rayas to what it is today – he did the first bottling at the domaine and expanded the property by taking out trees in order to establish new vineyards.

In 1935, Louis bought Domaine des Tours in Sarrians, which he entrusted to his son, Bertrand. After the war, he also acquired Fonsalette, north of Orange. With Louis’ death in 1978, his younger son Jacques succeeded him as head of Rayas and Fonsalette, while his eldest son, Bertrand, remained in command of Domaine des Tours. Jacques learned everything about making Grenache for Rayas from his father. And, like his father, he was also a bit rough and didn’tappreciate certain visitors and journalists; his sister, Françoise, who managed the administrative part of the domaine, also had a similar personality.

Jacques remained a bachelor, without any offspring, until his sudden death in 1997. So it was his nephew, Emmanuel, who headed Château des Tours (succeeding his father, Bertrand) and took over all of the domaines owned by the Reynaud family. After a few years of transition (1997 to 2002), which was needed to renovate the facilities and replace several vines, Emmanuel Reynaud brilliantly took over from his uncle, although the years of transition produced some wines below the usual
exceptional level.

If Rayas has become a myth, it is due to the quality and exceptional personality of its wines, but also for other reasons that has nothing to do with the vines. Firstly, it
may be called “Château”, but don’t expect a “real” château – rather an old, austere building that is hard to find and without charm; more like an agricultural building than a luxury property. The winery is functional, but very old and dusty, and during a recent visit, it felt almost like going back in time by a century. The contrast between the rustic buildings and the sophistication of the wine reinforces the Rayas myth. But it is also, and perhaps more importantly, the strong personalities of the Reynaud men
that have played the biggest part in this.

Jacques was known for his rough character. He had a mind of his own and did not care who was visiting – if he didn’t like them, he would simply show them the door. His nephew, Emmanuel, is less extreme, but nonetheless elusive – this can alternate between general courtesy to more brittle words, probably a way in which to  perpetuate the legend of his uncle. Regardless, what is certain is that Emmanuel produces wines as brilliant as his uncle.

THE DIFFERENT DOMAINES
Château Rayas (it is very rare for a property to bear the name of a local “climat”) includes 10 hectares of vines, consisting of multiple plots that are magnificently encased in superb pine forests and benefit from almost purely sandy soils. This is a feature unique to Châteauneuf – it explains the particular character of the red wine, which has a certain finesse and delicacy that reminds one of the great Burgundies. The red is 100% Grenache, whole bunch vinified in concrete vats and aged for two years in wooden containers. The white is a blend of 50% Grenache Blanc and 50% Clairette. Pignan is not the second wine of Rayas and while it is also 100% Grenache, it is produced from a specific parcel, from vines planted on much less sandy soils.

This wine makes up about 20% of the production of Rayas and is more like a classic Châteauneuf, therefore totally different from the Rayas appellation. Château Fonsalette is a collection of vines (10 hectares) purchased in 1945 and is located north of Orange, in the commune of Lagarde-Paréol. Many of these vineyards are now located in the appellation of Massif d’Uchaux, but will no doubt never claim it, the Fonsalette “brand” being more powerful than the recent appellation to which it belongs.
The red is a blend of Grenache (50%), Cinsault (35%) and Syrah (15%), while the white is produced from Grenache (80%), Clairette (10%) and Marsanne (10%). The
wines of Fonsalette are vinified at Château Rayas.

La Pialade is labelled Côtes du Rhône and depending on the year, is produced from grapes of Rayas and/or Fonsalette that are considered not good enough to be part of the final blend. It is generally a blend of Grenache (80%), Cinsault (15%) and Syrah (5%). It has a very low production and is sought-after by buyers, because the wine is very close to the “delicate” spirit of Rayas, albeit with less depth. We can almost say that it is a “small” Rayas, sold at much more affordable prices.  Unfortunately, it is hard to find because of the small quantities produced.

Château des Tours is the largest (40 hectares) and most “different” domaine of the Rayas family. It is the only one not to be vinified in the cellars of Rayas, as it was never really part of the “galaxy” when it was entrusted to Bertrand, the brother of Jacques Reynaud, who inherited from him Rayas and Fonsalette. Finally, it is also different because of its Vacqueyras terroir, which has little in common with that of Rayas or even Fonsalette. There has always been more similarity between the wines of Fonsalette and Rayas (vinified by the same person, Jacques Reynaud), than between them and the Château des Tours wines. This is both for terroir reasons, but also the men behind them, since the latter were vinified by Bertrand.

Today, of course, things are a little different, with Emmanuel in charge of all the domaines. But even if the logistical differences have become blurred, the fact remains that the Vacqueyras character is different in texture than the more delicate Rayas and Fonsalette. With its significant size, this property produces a slightly wider range. Under the name of Château des Tours, there is a red Vacqueyras (80% Grenache, and 20% Syrah), a red Côtes du Rhône (65% Grenache, 15% Cinsault, 20% Syrah) and a white Côtes du Rhône (100% Grenache). Under the name of Domaine des Tours, there is a Vin de Pays Vaucluse red (Grenache, Counoise, Syrah, Cinsault,
Merlot and various other varieties) and a Vin de Pays Vaucluse white (100% Clairette). Finally, under the label “Parisy”, a Vin de Table rosé, made from Grenache and Cinsault.

A STEADY RISE
Angélique de Lencquesaing, deputy managing director of iDealwine comments on the recent price evolution: “The success of the wines of Château Rayas has not waned at auction and has been particularly strong in the last few months. In June, the 1999 reached €312, an increase of 22%, while the 2007 went over the €500 price point (€504, +5%). In the first half of 2015 a bottle of Château Rayas 1978 sold for €1,140”.

iDealWine is an international wine auction website. Visit it at www.idealwine.com