Chateauneuf du Pape Reserve 2002

The wine in this vintage

2002 is remembered as one of the most difficult vintages in the southern Rhône's recent history: violent rain and flooding in early September compromised much of the crop, and many domaines drastically cut production. The 2002 Château Rayas Châteauneuf-du-Pape was born of strict selection and is a light, delicate wine, far from the depth of the great years: soft red fruit, notes of tea, dried herbs, spice and forest floor, with a slender palate and fine tannins. Wine Spectator rated it 91 points, a creditable result in context. It is now past its peak: a bottle to open soon, out of curiosity and to enjoy its evolved nuances.

The producer · Château Rayas

Château Rayas is perhaps the most enigmatic and revered domaine in Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Owned by the Reynaud family since the early twentieth century, it built its legend under Louis Reynaud and then his son Jacques, a reclusive genius who died in 1997; since then it has been run by his nephew Emmanuel Reynaud, who also manages Château des Tours and Fonsalette. The domaine is unlike any other in the appellation: vineyards enclosed by woodland, largely north-facing, on sandy soils rather than the famous rolled pebbles, planted to Grenache and cropped at tiny yields. Winemaking is artisanal and makes no concessions to modernity, with ageing in old casks in a deliberately spartan cellar. The result is a Grenache unique in the world, closer in finesse to great Burgundy than to the typical power of the southern Rhône: fragrant, silky, transparent and able to age for decades. Rare and made in minute quantities, Rayas wines are among the most sought-after in France.

Critics' scores

• 91 Wine Spectator

Technical details

Producer

Château Rayas

Region

Rhone

Country

Francia

Type

Rosso

Vintage

2002

When to drink

Past its peak

Critics' average

91/100

Sizes

75 cl, Magnum 150 cl, Case of 6 × 75 cl

eWibe code

0330102