Château de Fonsalette Côtes du Rhône 2001

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More than a myth, Château Rayas is a reality, that of a unique terroir in the Châteauneuf-du-Pape appellation, where sand plays a decisive role in the wine's profile. Emmanuel Reynaud took over the estate upon the death of his uncle, Jacques. He restored a vineyard in need, without deviating from the spirit that reigned there: very ripe Grenache, vinified simply in whole bunches and then aged in old barrels.

Difficult to understand young, Rayas truly reaches its full potential with age. Far from producing overly concentrated wines with demonstrative oak, Emmanuel Reynaud perpetuates the estate's singularity by being even more precise in defining the vintage. Château de Fonsalette is more than just a Côtes-du-Rhône; it extends this spirit, like a "little Rayas," which will be drunk more quickly. As for Pignan, Châteauneuf-du-Pape, more classic in its form, corresponds more to the idea that we have of the wines of this appellation. Here, they produce vintages like few others in France. And if some wine lovers are tempted to cultivate nostalgia for the wines of Jacques Reynaud, Emmanuel undoubtedly produces cuvées of great beauty that take pride of place in the pantheon of Châteauneuf-du-Pape wines.