This was an irresistible parcel—the legendary 2005 Rayas at a very, very good price.

Château Rayas has turned out mythical wines. In the southern Rhône, they are without peer.

Rayas truly is one of the most singular estates in France. Without a doubt, these are some of the most ageworthy, soulful and profound wines of the southern Rhône.

Andrew Jefford captures the signature here very well: "...hauntingly beautiful in character...fat, sweet yet savory."

The 2005 is a wine of kaleidoscopic complexity and incredible density. It's incredibly nuanced with notes of earth, spice, dark fruits, mushrooms, and a dark, brooding minerality. While the wine is starting to enter its prime drinking window, the structure is formidable.

In a region of vineyards strewn with rocks baking in the sun, the 10ha Chateau Rayas occupies a unique, cooler microclimate on sandy soils. The wines it produced under Jacques Reynaud, from 1978 to 1995, remain some of the most famous Chateauneufs ever produced. After Jacques' death, his nephew, Emmanual Reynaud, took the reigns at the estate. The 2005 vintage marks the point where everything clicked, and Rayas turned out wines that could rival Jacques Reynaud's era.

The 2005 is one of the greatest Rayas produced in the past thirty years. I'm very happy to offer this tribute to one of the Rhône's storied estates. Quantities are very limited.

To order, email offers@crushwineco.com or call the store at (212) 980-9463.

Ian McFadden

Director, Fine & Rare Wine
Crush Wine & Spirits

2005 Château Rayas Châteauneuf-du-Pape

Special Bottle Price: $899.95
Compare at $925-1350

Jeb Dunnuck,The Wine Advocate:"Showing the more structured, savory and austere side of the vintage, the 2005 Rayas Chateauneuf du Pape will be 20-30 year wine. Offering up lots of darker fruits, gunpowder, ground pepper, truffles and licorice, it has full-bodied richness, a beautiful texture and no shortage of tannin or acid, both of which make themselves known on the finish. This is a wine to hide in the cellar for at least another 4-5 years, and it will still be going strong in 2030+. I don't see this matching the 1995 or 2007, but it's not far off."