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$RAYA
2009 Chateau Rayas, Chateauneuf-du-Pape
Bottle size (ML)
Current price
$7,369
Start Your Wine Collection with 2009 Chateau Rayas, Chateauneuf-du-Pape
Begin your portfolio with a prestigious wine that has a history of growth.- Enjoy fully managed, secure storage facilities with insurance coverage.
- Get expert advice on when to hold and when to sell.
Why We're Buying
The 2009 Château Rayas Châteauneuf-du-Pape Reserve defies easy categorization. On the one hand, it's supremely elegant. An acrobatic bouquet entrances the senses while silky tannins sweep across the palate. Meanwhile, Rayas Châteauneuf-du-Pape is intense and powerful. It has a brawny structure with deep layers of concentrated fruit. Combined, the dichotomous forces make this grenache one of the most dynamic wines in the Rayas portfolio. The ever-evolving nose is just as rich as the body itself. Red and blackberries, cherry liqueur, licorice, violets, wildflowers, and baking spice form a densely packed core. Note that 2009 Rayas Châteauneuf-du-Pape is never brooding. It remains nimble on its feet with striking clarity and a bubbly personality. Wine critic Robert Parker wrote that "this monumental Rayas is breathtaking," while Rayas owner Emmanuel Reynaud said drinking it in youth would be infanticide. The Final Sip: 2009 Château Rayas Châteauneuf-du-Pape Reserve marries grace and power in a way that is impossible to ignore.
Critics Scores
Vinous
(basically 100 grenache): Deep red with a bright rim. A kaleidoscopic bouquet evokes red and dark berry preserves, blood orange and lavender, with deeper cherry pit and licorice qualities adding power. Sweet, expansive and pure, offering intense raspberry, bitter cherry and floral pastille flavors supported by a firm spine of acidity. Shows excellent clarity and power on the finish, which is given shape by fine-grained, sweet tannins. I underestimated this wine from barrel last year.
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2009 Rayas Chateauneuf du Pape is an awesome example of elegance combined with extraordinary power. The alcohol levels must be between 15.5 and 16, but the elegance and sublime nature of this wine make it irresistible. Its dense ruby/purple color is followed by an extraordinary bouquet of framboise, black cherry liqueur intermixed with blacker fruits, licorice and a hint of flowers. Pure with terrific layers of fruit concentration (although it's remarkably light on its feet), silky tannins, well-integrated acidity and a stunning personality, this monumental Rayas is breathtaking. This beauty will undoubtedly be drinkable early on (although Emmanuel Reynaud considers that to be infanticide), and it is capable of lasting 25-30 years.
Region Summary
The Rhône is not one but two dichotomous regions that form a whole greater than the sum of its parts. The smaller, more prestigious northern Rhône is synonymous with world-class syrah. Meanwhile, the more prolific southern Rhône has mastered the art of the red blend. With their combination of affordability, stability, and relative value, there truly is no place like Rhône.
Why We're Investing
Wine lovers, drink your heart out. The Rhône is a treasure trove of riches with dependable production to satisfy rising demand. Add in a wide range of wines and low entry prices, and it’s an ideal starting point for anyone beginning their wine investing journey. The northern Rhône is best known for single-varietal wines, primarily syrah. While it only accounts for 5 of regional production, the northern Rhône has a staggering concentration of old and highly-revered estates. Top producers across Hermitage, Cornas, and Côte-Rôtie have not only put the Rhône on the map but also routinely draw comparisons to first-growth Bordeaux. Take a short trip downriver, and arrive in the southern Rhône. Winemakers here have mastered complex blends that ensure consistent quality year after year. The style is best exemplified by Châteauneuf-du-Pape, the flagship appellation and wine, which uses up to 15 different grapes. While the region is vulnerable to bouts of inclement weather (re: Mistral winds), the southern Rhône still realizes multiple near-perfect vintages each decade. Critics have taken note, too. The 2007, 2010, 2015, and 2016 vintages have received near-universal praise. None have lauded the region more than legendary wine critic Robert Parker. In his career, Parker gave 87 Rhône wines a perfect score. By comparison, Napa Valley only earned 67 100-point ratings from Parker. Even with estates like Château Rayas, M. Chapoutier, and E. Guigal stockpiling awards, the Rhône remains the cheapest entry point into fine wine. Buyers can secure two cases of top-tier wine from the southern Rhône for the same price as one case of Super Tuscans or five cases of first growth Bordeaux. That’s not all. The finest northern Rhônes will set people back one-seventh of the price of Burgundy’s priciest pinot noirs! Considering the relative value, buyers might expect lukewarm performance. Fortunately, that’s not the case. The most collectible Rhônes consistently deliver double-digit annualized returns, rewarding buyers in more ways than one.
What's the Latest
When people think of the Rhône, they think of Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Côte-Rôtie, and Hermitage. It’s time to add “stability” to that list. The Rhône has shown remarkable stability in performance and price in recent years, making it one of the most reliable portfolio diversifiers. According to the Liv-ex Rhône 100 index, the region’s top wines have risen 27.4 in value over the last three years. In that time, the index had an average annualized volatility of 13.8. As a point of reference, that translates to 25 less volatility than the S&P 500, which historically sits at 18 per year. Here’s the important part: the Rhône continues to grow even when the global economy sputters. Headwinds such as inflation and geopolitical tension have hamstrung traditional investments, including equities and bonds. While the Rhône’s slow and steady performance isn’t glitzy or glamorous, it’s all the more impressive during periods of economic sluggishness. Perhaps more importantly, the Rhône has held its own amid the stratospheric success of Burgundy and Champagne. While its fellow French regions gobble up market share, the Rhône remains largely unaffected. In 2022, it held a 4.0 share of the secondary market, only a minor dip from 4.5 the previous year. By comparison, Piedmont, Tuscany, Bordeaux, and California all lost more market share than the Rhône in that 12-month span.
Looking Forward
The Rhône has a relatively small share of the secondary market. The good news is that percentage should grow. Its number of wines traded and transactions have boomed over the last decade as buyers continue to seek out an increasingly diverse array of wines. The Rhône is well positioned to capture new buyers, especially those beginning their wine investing journey. It offers a combination of attractive prices, wide variety, and high stability even amid global economic tumult. For anyone searching for the complete package, few regions check as many boxes as the Rhône.