Chateau de Fonsalette (Rayas) Cotes du Rhone Reserve, Rhone, France 2013

Côtes du Rhône Réserve 2013 is one of the Rhône Valley’s most elusive treasures, produced by the Reynaud family of the legendary Rayas estate. Sourced from old-vine parcels surrounding the château, Fonsalette occupies a unique place in the wine world, often rivaling or surpassing many Châteauneuf-du-Pape bottlings in complexity and pedigree despite its humble Côtes du Rhône designation. The 2013 vintage offers a beautifully aromatic profile of wild strawberry, red cherry, dried roses, blood orange, garrigue, exotic spice, and tea leaf, all wrapped in a remarkably elegant and ethereal frame. On the palate, the wine is silky and nuanced, emphasizing purity, freshness, and transparency over power, with fine tannins and a lingering mineral finish. The cooler, classically styled 2013 vintage highlights the wine’s finesse and aromatic complexity, making it especially appealing for lovers of traditionally styled Rhône wines. Rarely seen and highly sought after, Fonsalette embodies the unmistakable Reynaud touch, graceful, hauntingly complex, and utterly unique.