Château des Tours

The history of an exceptional estate

Château des Tours, located in the southern Rhone valley, is part of an estate encompassing three châteaux, now owned by Emmanuel Reynaud: Château Rayas, Château des Tours and Château Fonsalette.

A family estate, its origins date back to the 1930s, when Louis Reynaud, son of Albert Reynaud (who had owned Château Rayas since 1880), acquired Château des Tours between 1935 and 1938. In 1945, Château Fonsalette joined the estate.

Jacques Reynaud, son of Louis, took over the running of Château Rayas and Château Fonsalette on his father's death in 1978. His nephew, Emmanuel Reynaud, inherited the Tours estate, where he set up a winery and developed Château des Tours wines from 1989 onwards.

In 1997, following the death of Jacques Reynaud, Emmanuel amalgamated the three estates to form a single property. The three wines (Château Rayas, Château des Tours, Château Fonsalette) are made at Château Rayas (Rayas and Fonsalette) and Château des Tours.

A Rhône terroir

The wines produced by the estate are at the heart of the southern Rhône Valley, shared between the AOC Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Côtes du Rhône, Vacqueyras and Côtes du Rhône Village.

Château des Tours extends over 40 hectares of mixed farming, including vines, mother vines, cereals and a parcel of olive trees. The vines are planted with Grenache, Syrah, Cinsault, Merlot and Counoise for the reds, while Grenache Blanc and Clairette are the whites.

The vines and terroir are meticulously tended by Emmanuel Reynaud, as are the harvests, which are meticulously planned to ensure that the grapes are as perfectly ripe as possible. The result is wines that perfectly express their terroir and are of the highest quality.

The wines

Every year, the estate's wines set new standards in terms of balance and complexity. Their ageing potential is always surprising, whatever the vintage.

Indeed, from Vacqueyras to vin de pays, they are always marketed after a few years' aging at the domaine, and their tasting is recommended after a few years' cellaring.

The Château des Tours Blanc is vinified under the Côtes-du-Rhône appellation, in 100% Grenache. Its light yellow color with a thick disk announces a certain opulence and unctuousness. On the nose, aromas of wax, aniseed, green almond and white-fleshed fruit reflect the wine's great complexity. On the palate, there's perfect harmony between substance, freshness, finesse and complexity.