Chateau Rayas Chateauneuf-du-Pape Pignan 2007

Chateau Rayas Chateauneuf-du-Pape Pignan 2007
Sun-drenched 2007 is remembered as Chateauneuf’s banner year, yet Rayas’s cool, north-facing sand translated the vintage’s power into weightless intensity. Pignan, drawn from a hidden two-hectare clearing behind the estate’s pine grove, marries soaring kirsch perfume to a silken, tea-leaf core shaped by whole-cluster fermentation. Barely 800 cases emerged, and their measured 14.5 % alcohol underscores finesse over force. Patience will reveal layers of garrigue and crushed rose now humming just beneath the surface.

Producer: Chateau Rayas
Vintage: 2007
Designation: Chateauneuf-du-Pape
Parcels / Lieu-dit: Pignan (two hectares behind pine trees)
Variety: Grenache
Average Vine Age: 65 years
Soils & Exposure: Fine red sand with scattered pebbles; cool, north-facing site sheltered by forest
Fermentation: 100 % whole-cluster, native yeasts in concrete vats; 10-14 day maceration
Élevage: 12 months in century-old foudres; bottled lightly filtered with minimal SO₂
Alcohol: 14.5 % vol.
Total Production: 
Fun Fact: Pignan means “pine tree” in Provençal, a nod to the towering pines bordering the vines.

The Domaine
Founded in 1880, Chateau Rayas is the most singular voice in Chateauneuf-du-Pape. Twelve hectares of cool, sand-rich vines—now stewarded by Emmanuel Reynaud—yield Grenache of haunting perfume and featherweight power. Low yields, organic farming and ancient foudres preserve an almost pre-modern transparency. Demand perpetually eclipses supply, making every Rayas bottling a coveted treasure among collectors.