2000 Chateau des Tours Vacqueyras Reserve

Château des Tours is owned and operated by the legendary Reynaud family, which purchased property in the Rhone Valley in 1880. Their first estate was Château Rayas. In the late 1930s the family purchased the property that would become the 100-acre Château des Tours, adding the 30-acre Chateau de Fonsalette in 1945. Four generations of Reynauds have operated the three estates turning their wines into gold standards for their appellations. Robert M. Parker Jr. has called Château Rayas “one of the mythical names of France” because of its outstanding winemaking. And Jeb Dunnuck has noted that Emmanuel Reynaud, current owner and winemaker, makes wines that “never lack for power or richness.” Château des Tours wines earn consistently complimentary reviews.

Vacqueyras AOC is in the Southern Rhone Valley and runs along the banks of the Ouvèze River. It received its appellation status 1990, having been part of the AOC Côtes du Rhone appellation since 1937. Some 97 percent of the wine made in Vacqueyras is red, and like its neighbor to the north, Gigondas, Vacqueyras is known for its powerful wines. There are 3,200 vineyard acres planted to Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre, Cinsault, Muscardin, Counoise, Clairette and Bourbolenc. Vacqueyras reds are dark, spicy, tannic and considered good for aging.