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Emmanuel Reynaud, owner of Château Rayas, Château de Fonsalette, and Château des Tours****, has died at the age of 61 after a long illness. In 1982, at the age of 19, he had to take over Château des Tours (AOC Vacqueyras) from his deceased father. Until 1988, he delivered all the grapes to the cooperative. After that, he managed to establish the winery at the top of the region. Therefore, his uncle Jacques, who passed away in 1997, bequeathed him his share of Château Rayas. Reynaud bought the remaining shares from another uncle and his aunt and paid off his siblings.
Emmanuel Reynaud, like his uncle Jacques, is considered one of the most important winemakers and a “symbol” of Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Château Rayas is one of the most sought-after wines of the appellation. Despite all the high ratings, “he kept a cool head and never succumbed to the temptation of inflationary price increases. He continued to supply his traditional customers and gave new wine lovers little hope of ever acquiring even a few bottles of Rayas, Pignan, or Château des Tours,” honored the Organization for the Protection of Origins (ODG) the deceased. Of his six children, three are already actively involved in the family business.
(al; Sources: La Revue du Vins de France; Vitisphere; Image: Roberto Petronio)