Rayas

The legendary fine wine of Châteauneuf-du-Pape

Château Rayas wines: buy at the best price

In 1997, Emmanuel Reynaud succeeded his uncle Jacques, who had died suddenly, at the helm of Château Rayas. There, he makes some of southern France's most legendary wines. The red is an unusual 100% Grenache. It owes its distinctive character to the vineyard's north-facing sandy soils and the use of whole bunches to make this exceptionally fine wine, aged in old large oak casks. The result is breathtaking: a wine of Burgundian elegance that soon dispels conventional notions of Châteauneuf-du-Pape. The white is cut from the same cloth. Made from Grenache Blanc and Clairette, it needs time to develop. Admirers of Emmanuel Reynaud's wines can also turn to the Côtes-du-Rhône wines from Château de Fonsalette, which share Rayas's character but can be enjoyed younger.

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3 in stock

Ref: 122853

Color : Red

Volume : 75cl

Robert Parker WA : 94-97/100

Bettane et Desseauve : 19/20

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Rhône | Châteauneuf du Pape

Rayas 2012

€1,260.00 inc-VAT per bottle

€1,050.00 ex-VAT

13 in stock

Ref: 122831

Color : Red

Volume : 75cl

Bettane et Desseauve : 18/20

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Rhône | Châteauneuf du Pape

Rayas 2014

€1,188.00 inc-VAT per bottle

€990.00 ex-VAT

-5%

Last one !

0 in stock

Ref: 128635

Color : Red

Volume : 75cl

Label : Damaged

Robert Parker WA : 89/100

Wine Spectator : 93/100

Revue du Vin de France : 17/20

Out of stock

Rhône | Châteauneuf du Pape

Rayas 1998 - DISCOUNT -5% !

€1,231.20 inc-VAT per bottle €1,296.00 inc-VAT -5%

€1,026.00 ex-VAT

-5%

Last one !

1 in stock

Ref: 128636

Color : White

Volume : 75cl

Label : Damaged

Revue du Vin de France : 17/20

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Rhône | Châteauneuf du Pape

Rayas 1998 white - DISCOUNT -5% !

€855.00 inc-VAT per bottle €900.00 inc-VAT -5%

€712.50 ex-VAT

1 in stock

Ref: 130206

Color : Red

Volume : 75cl

Bettane et Desseauve : 19.5/20

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Rhône | Châteauneuf du Pape

Rayas 2013

€1,200.00 inc-VAT per bottle

€1,000.00 ex-VAT

2 in stock

Ref: 130603

Color : Red

Volume : 75cl

Label : Very slightly damaged

Robert Parker WA : 98/100

Bettane et Desseauve : 18.5/20

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Rhône | Châteauneuf du Pape

Rayas 2009

€1,260.00 inc-VAT per bottle

€1,050.00 ex-VAT

7 in stock

Ref: 130604

Color : Red

Volume : 75cl

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Rhône | Châteauneuf du Pape

Rayas 2011

€1,140.00 inc-VAT per bottle

€950.00 ex-VAT

Last one !

1 in stock

Ref: 130796

Color : Red

Volume : 75cl

Bettane et Desseauve : 19.5/20

Add to cart

Rhône | Châteauneuf du Pape

Rayas 2013

€1,200.00 inc-VAT per bottle

€1,000.00 ex-VAT

Last one !

1 in stock

Ref: 132465

Color : Red

Volume : 75cl

Bettane et Desseauve : 19.5/20

Add to cart

Rhône | Châteauneuf du Pape

Rayas 2013

€1,200.00 inc-VAT per bottle

€1,000.00 ex-VAT

Last one !

1 in stock

Ref: 132982

Color : Red

Volume : 75cl

Bettane et Desseauve : 18/20

Add to cart

Rhône | Châteauneuf du Pape

Rayas 2014

€1,188.00 inc-VAT per bottle

€990.00 ex-VAT

4 in stock

Ref: 133000

Color : Red

Volume : 75cl

Robert Parker WA : 95/100

Wine Spectator : 93/100

Revue du Vin de France : 20/20

Add to cart

Rhône | Châteauneuf du Pape

Rayas 2007

€1,260.00 inc-VAT per bottle

€1,050.00 ex-VAT

2 in stock

Ref: 133003

Color : Red

Volume : 75cl

Robert Parker WA : 98/100

Bettane et Desseauve : 18.5/20

Add to cart

Rhône | Châteauneuf du Pape

Rayas 2009

€1,260.00 inc-VAT per bottle

€1,050.00 ex-VAT

Last one !

1 in stock

Ref: 133004

Color : Red

Volume : 75cl

Add to cart

Rhône | Châteauneuf du Pape

Rayas 2011

€1,140.00 inc-VAT per bottle

€950.00 ex-VAT

Last one !

1 in stock

Ref: 133016

Color : Red

Volume : 75cl

Robert Parker WA : 92/100

Wine Spectator : 93/100

Revue du Vin de France : 19/20

Bettane et Desseauve : 17/20

Add to cart

Rhône | Châteauneuf du Pape

Rayas 2004

€1,188.00 inc-VAT per bottle

€990.00 ex-VAT

2 in stock

Ref: 133320

Color : Red

Volume : 75cl

Bettane et Desseauve : 19.5/20

Add to cart

Rhône | Châteauneuf du Pape

Rayas 2013

€1,200.00 inc-VAT per bottle

€1,000.00 ex-VAT

2 in stock

Ref: 133322

Color : White

Volume : 75cl

Bettane et Desseauve : 18/20

Add to cart

Rhône | Châteauneuf du Pape

Rayas 2013 white

€780.00 inc-VAT per bottle

€650.00 ex-VAT

3 in stock

Ref: 133321

Color : Red

Volume : 75cl

Bettane et Desseauve : 18/20

Add to cart

Rhône | Châteauneuf du Pape

Rayas 2014

€1,188.00 inc-VAT per bottle

€990.00 ex-VAT

New

3 in stock

Ref: 134855

Color : Red

Volume : 75cl

Bettane et Desseauve : 18/20

Add to cart

Rhône | Châteauneuf du Pape

Rayas 2014

€1,088.00 inc-VAT per bottle

€906.67 ex-VAT

New

1 in stock

Ref: 134857

Color : Red

Volume : 75cl

Robert Parker WA : 94-97/100

Bettane et Desseauve : 19/20

Add to cart

Rhône | Châteauneuf du Pape

Rayas 2012

€1,260.00 inc-VAT per bottle

€1,050.00 ex-VAT

New

1 in stock

Ref: 134861

Color : White

Volume : 75cl

Robert Parker WA : 92-95/100

Bettane et Desseauve : 18/20

Add to cart

Rhône | Châteauneuf du Pape

Rayas 2012 white

€780.00 inc-VAT per bottle

€650.00 ex-VAT

New

1 in stock

Ref: 134862

Color : White

Volume : 75cl

Add to cart

Rhône | Châteauneuf du Pape

Rayas 2014 white

€780.00 inc-VAT per bottle

€650.00 ex-VAT

New

4 in stock

Ref: 134864

Color : Red

Volume : 75cl

Add to cart

Rhône | Châteauneuf du Pape

Rayas 2011

€1,140.00 inc-VAT per bottle

€950.00 ex-VAT

New

4 in stock

Ref: 134865

Color : Red

Volume : 75cl

Robert Parker WA : 98/100

Bettane et Desseauve : 18.5/20

Add to cart

Rhône | Châteauneuf du Pape

Rayas 2009

€1,260.00 inc-VAT per bottle

€1,050.00 ex-VAT

New

4 in stock

Ref: 134866

Color : Red

Volume : 75cl

Robert Parker WA : 95/100

Wine Spectator : 93/100

Revue du Vin de France : 20/20

Add to cart

Rhône | Châteauneuf du Pape

Rayas 2007

€1,260.00 inc-VAT per bottle

€1,050.00 ex-VAT

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History of Château Rayas

The story begins in 1880, when Albert Reynaud, a notary from the Avignon area forced to leave his profession after losing his hearing, acquired a farm in the place known as Rayas. Vines were then grown alongside olive and apricot trees, in the Provençal tradition of mixed farming. Beginning in 1920, his son Louis, who had studied agriculture in Angers, refocused the estate on winegrowing, cleared wooded plots to plant new vines and became one of the first growers in the appellation to bottle his wine at the property, at a time when selling in bulk was still the norm. He also expanded the family's holdings with Domaine des Tours in Sarrians in 1935, followed by Château de Fonsalette after World War II.

In 1978, Jacques Reynaud succeeded his father at the helm of Rayas and Fonsalette. A private winemaker with a strong personality, he built the estate's legend as much through the grace of his wines as through his reluctance to receive visitors and journalists. After his sudden death in 1997, his nephew Emmanuel, who was already running Château des Tours, took over all the family properties. Following several years spent renovating the facilities and replacing missing vines in the plots, he returned Rayas to the pinnacle of the appellation. Emmanuel Reynaud died in November 2025; his sons Benoît and Louis-Damien now carry on the legacy of this extraordinary family estate.

Terroirs and Vines of Château Rayas

The Château Rayas vineyard is an exception in Châteauneuf-du-Pape. While the appellation is known for its rounded stones, which absorb the day's heat, Rayas sits on fine, poor sands tinged red by iron, from which the stones have been removed. Some ten hectares of vines are spread across several plots (Le Levant, Le Cœur and Le Couchant), nestled in clearings surrounded by pine woods. Predominantly north-facing exposures and the sand's limited ability to retain heat create one of the coolest microclimates in the area. This allows for late harvests, sometimes into October, while preserving the grapes' brightness and freshness.

Grenache Noir holds sway over the red-wine plots, trained as old bush vines with very low yields. Around two hectares on Le Levant are devoted to white varieties: Grenache Blanc and Clairette. The vines are grown with deep respect for the soil, without chasing yields, so that this distinctive sandy terroir gives the wines the airy texture and aromatic finesse that are the hallmarks of Rayas.

Winemaking at Château Rayas

At Château Rayas, winemaking follows a family tradition passed down through generations, one the Reynauds have always preferred to keep discreet. The Grenache grapes are fermented as whole clusters, without destemming, in concrete tanks, using native yeasts and deliberately gentle extraction, with limited pump-overs. The rustic cellar, weathered by time, harbors a natural balance of yeasts and microorganisms that the family considers integral to its expertise. The different plots are vinified separately, allowing the composition of each cuvée to be refined every year.

The wines then age in very old large oak casks and demi-muids, some of which have been in use for several generations, for around two years in the case of the red. New oak is ruled out: it must never obscure the fruit or the voice of the terroir. The wines are bottled without embellishment and released for sale in their own time. The wines of Château de Fonsalette and La Pialade are also made in the Rayas cellars, following the same philosophy.

The Cuvées of Château Rayas

Château Rayas Rouge, Châteauneuf-du-Pape: the estate's fine wine is pure Grenache from old vines planted on sand. Its often pale color heralds a wine of delicacy rather than power, with a bouquet of rose petals, wild strawberry, cherry, blood orange and dried herbs. Silky and deep on the palate, it rests on exceptionally fine tannins and surprising freshness for this latitude. Built for very long aging, it gains nuances of truffle, leather and sweet spice over the years and reveals its full character after fifteen to twenty years in the cellar. It pairs beautifully with roast squab, truffled poultry or game birds.

Château Rayas Blanc, Châteauneuf-du-Pape: made from equal parts Grenache Blanc and Clairette grown on the Le Levant plots, this white wine is among the most sought-after in the Rhône. It combines breadth and tension, with aromas of white flowers, pear, fresh almond and honey, and a persistent, saline finish. With age, it develops notes of wax, candied fruit and toasted hazelnut. Its tiny production makes it one of the appellation's great rarities.