Such evenings are worth their weight in gold — which, like these very bottles in recent years, keeps smashing through ever higher price ceilings!
A great deal has already been written about the pedigree and level of the wines produced by the Reynaud family across four generations. They are astonishing and unusual. These two characteristics neatly divide passionate amateurs and professionals into two camps: some dislike them intensely, while others simply go mad for them.
But I would like to use them once again as an occasion to reflect on the notion of terroir. Such a stark difference from all other wines surely does not stem solely from the soil and the winemaker’s hand. Above all, it lies in the microbiology — both in the vineyard and in the cellar. In this sense, the uniqueness of the wine is akin to the talent of a master craftsman. Perhaps this is precisely where its soul resides? Emmanuel’s talent is beyond question, just as the exceptional nature of the plot itself is undeniable. Yet what then happens in the cellar is what truly works miracles! Once again one is convinced that Rayas deserves its own appellation.
Another point that has now become crystal clear to me is the question of age. Old Rayas is a wine of incredible scale and pleasure. The 1988 was fantastic and utterly incomparable!
At the same time, even the young vintages — and a twenty-year-old Rayas still qualifies as young — were magnificent. For me, they stand above any Burgundy.
Text and Photo: Greg Somm
