Rayas

Limited Release

The Legacy Endures: Rayas 2026 Allocation

Published: October 9, 2026
Author: Brett Taylor

Our annual Rayas release is always one of, if not our favorite day of the year, and as a passionate supporter, I’m excited to share this with you. Last fall, we sadly lost one of the most iconic figures in the world of wine. However, the spirit of Emmanuel lives on with this latest release of the 2015 vintage and a small amount of 2012 from the cellars of Rayas and Fonsalette.

For us at Martine’s, Rayas has always been deeply personal. From Martine’s first tasting with Emmanuel’s uncle Jacques while the company was still in its infancy (she waited while he finished his afternoon nap and was greeted with a wine glass with a broken stem), to legendary dinners at Blackberry Farm in Tennessee, to every cork popped by our faithful customers, Rayas embodies the Martine’s philosophy.

Below is our pre-arrival offering from Château Rayas and Château de Fonsalette. Quantities are extremely limited.

Rayas

“Emmanuel Reynaud was a passionate defender of his terroirs, but above all, the guardian of a unique winemaking tradition. Creator of inimitable wines often copied but never equaled. I will deeply miss our annual walks through the vineyards of Château Rayas, every time in awe of the beauty of the place and immersed in our conversations about the estate and the world.

‘Greg, vivons heureux, vivons caches,’ is a phrase he often repeated to me, I can relate, now more than ever. His exceptional legacy will endure through his children, and they will carry forward the philosophy and respect for terroir that made Rayas legendary. The tradition continues, and with it, the soul of these extraordinary wines.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​“

-Greg Castells, President, Martine’s Wines

 

Château Rayas

Many of France’s greatest wines exemplify their appellations, but some transcend them. Nestled in one of the cooler corners of a warm, sun-kissed region; defined by sandy soils in a sector known for its heat-retentive glacial cobbles; and planted with a single grape variety, Grenache Noir, when the local vignerons have the right to blend fully 13, Château Rayas clearly numbers among the exceptions. Pouring a glass only confirms this; where so many of its neighbors are dark and brooding, Rayas is pale and limpid, ethereal and perfumed; powerful, yes, but sensual, too. Indeed, I’ve often thought that Rayas really deserves an appellation all to itself.  

-“The singularity of Chateau Rayas”, William Kelley, The World of Fine Wine

Available Wines

  • Château Rayas

  • Château Rayas Châteauneuf-du-Pape Rouge 2015

  • Château Rayas Châteauneuf-du-Pape Rouge 2012

  • Château Rayas Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc 2015

  • Château Rayas Pignan Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2015

    The vineyard of Pignan is two hectares that were planted in the 1980s, located at Chateau Rayas behind the pine trees. It is a slightly warmer site with some rocks scattered through the vineyard.

  • Château Rayas Côtes-du-Rhône La Pialade 2020

    80% Grenache, 15% Cinsault, 5% Syrah. La Pialade is a second label in the traditional sense in that the fruit comes mainly from the Fonsalette estate, though a bit of Rayas estate fruit can find its way into the blend in some years. Usually comes from younger vines (20 years old).

  • Château Fonsalette

    Just outside Châteauneuf-du-Pape, near the village of Lagarde-Paréol in the Côtes-du-Rhône appellation, Château de Fonsalette was purchased by Emmanuel’s grandfather, Louis Reynaud, in 1945. It holds 300 acres, 30 of which are planted with Grenache, Cinsault and Syrah for reds, and Grenache Blanc, Clairette and Marsanne for whites. The estate also produces wonderful olive oil. There is a clear through line in all the wines produced by Emmanuel — a unique weighty, aromatic, complex, and savory signature of all the wines that places them among the most well-regarded, sought-after bottles of the appellation.

  • Château de Fonsalette Côtes du Rhône Rouge 2015

    50% Grenache, 35% Cinsault, 15% Syrah. Syrah is harvested and vinified separately in old foudres.

  • Château de Fonsalette Côtes du Rhône Blanc 2015

    Grenache Blanc, Clairette and Marsanne

  • Château de Fonsalette Syrah 2011

    Syrah from plots planted in the 1940s and 1980s, whole cluster fermentation and aged in large old foudres.

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