The Rivesaltes are natural sweet wines produced in an appellation area which has the town of Rivesaltes en Roussillon as its heart. The production technique is based on mutating. The process dates back to the XNUMXthe century when the doctor Arnaud de Villeneuve already neutralized the fermentation of musts by adding wine alcohol obtained by distillation. The technique has the virtue of fixing the sugars and the aromas of the grapes which will then become more complex depending on the form of aging and the duration of aging. The Rivesaltes, made from musts distributed among red, white or rosé wines, are available in four colors: Garnet, Tile, Rosé et Amber. THE Rivesaltes Garnet is produced exclusively from Grenache. It undergoes a reductive aging of eight months, at least three of which are bottled. Fruit and freshness are sought after and reconciled in these vintages. The Rivesaltes Tuile comes from Grenaches black, gray and white with which the Maccabees. It is the same for theAmber to which can be added the Muscat à petit grains or that of Alexandria. Roof tiles et Amber undergo oxidative aging in wooden vats, which will contribute to a complexification of structures and aromas. At least thirty months of aging are required for these natural sweet wines which will develop bouquets reminiscent of coffee, tobacco, fig, plum, quince, etc. When the breeding is pushed beyond the five years, the mention " Out of age »Comes to be imposed. To the list of names is added the Rancid, whose most typical oxidative method is aging in demijohns exposed to the sun for several years.
Pure expression of Grenaches, the Rivesaltes should not be confused with the Muscat de Rivesaltes, another natural sweet wine from Roussillon exclusively made from grape varieties of Muscat à petits grains and Muscat d'Alexandrie.
Rivesaltes producers
Terrassous vineyards
VICA, the Catalan winegrowers
Dom brial
Domaine Lerys
Domaine Saint-Thomas
Find out more about the appellation
The specifications of theRivesaltes appellation.