Everything you need to know about Rayas

When I first tasted a bottle of Rayas in 2015, I had no idea what it was. The HoseMaster of Wine had, very generously, brought it to dinner in Sonoma. I knew it was special – I could taste that much, but I didn’t know quite how iconic the Reynaud name was.

Over a decade later, I’ve been fortunate to taste the Reynaud family’s wines several times – always thanks to the generosity of others, or some unnervingly well-priced wine lists in France. Almost every one of those bottles has been too young, a little tight and with so much to offer – and just as you get to your last glass, you’re starting to see the wine’s real potential.

When I started compiling a guide to the Reynaud universe – not just Rayas, but the family’s other estates and wines – I didn’t realise that it would be quite so timely.

On 25th November, Emmanuel Reynaud – who has been custodian of the family’s Rhône estates for almost three decades – passed away. I never met the winemaker, who was famously reclusive – quietly farming his vines and making some of the world’s most sought-after wines, avoiding the limelight that they brought him – as shy as his wines can be. Now, his children Louis Damien and Benoît are at the helm, ready to continue an extraordinary legacy.

Read the full guide on frw.co.uk/editorial – or save the link for future reference