1993 Château Rayas Châteauneuf du Pape

To produce the wine of Chateau Rayas, it is important to note that Rayas remains a traditional Chateauneuf du Pape estate. Rayas is always made from 100% Grenache. Rayas is a long-time proponent of low yields that on average range from 12 to 20 hectoliters per hectare. At Rayas, they retain most, if not all of their stems. The grapes are whole bunch pressed and vinified in concrete tanks. Vinifications are usually short, not more than 2 weeks. The grapes are vinified and aged according to the parcels the vines are planted in and aged separately. The blending takes place later. The wine is then aged on its lees in a combination of aged demi-muids ranging from 450-600 liters and old foudres of various capacities for an average of 16 months before bottling. It is also important to note that there are no new French oak barrels at Rayas. Many of the barrels are almost as old as their vines. The newest barrels are close to 30 years of age, give or take a few years one way or the other. Some barrels could be as old as 50 to perhaps 100 years of age! The age of the barrels dovetails perfectly with the unadorned, bare cellars, with their rough, stone stones and primitive, rock and earth floors. The production of Chateau Rayas is limited to an average of 1,200 – 1,500 cases of Rayas per vintage.