THE FORTIFIED WINES OF THE ROUSSILLON
Fortified wines are a family of wines where distilled alcohol is added to a wine while it is fermenting. This process is called mutage, and it was found that by adding alcohol to a wine, it killed any potentially bad bacteria as well as any remaining yeast that could cause a wine to referment. Because of this arrested fermentation, the grape sugars that have yet to turn into alcohol remain in the wine, which is why in the French categorize these wines as “vin doux naturelle,” which translates literally as “naturally sweet wine.”
While port and sherry may be the most famous of the fortified wines, the first patent for the process of mutage was granted to a Catalan doctor Arnaud de Villeneuve at the end of the 13th century in southern France. And over the next 700 years, the Roussillon became the source of a number of different fortified styles. So important was this style of wine that as recently as the 1970s, well over 80 per cent of all wine made in the region was a product of fortification.
Last week I wrote about how the Roussillon is adapting to a change in drinking habits that seems to be a worldwide phenomenon. People are drinking less fortified wine. But the style remains an important part of the region’s production, and nearly every winery makes some sort of fortified wine. And thankfully they do. On a recent tour of the Roussillon, I reacquainted myself with the diverse family of fortified wines and came away with a newfound respect. While tasty, their capacity for aging is extraordinary. I tasted more than a dozen wines that were over 70 years old with the oldest being an 1875. It was remarkable in that it still tasted of fruit, as opposed to suggestions of cigar and mushroom that one would expect from such an old wine.
These wines are obviously rare and the vast majority of fortified wines from the Roussillon available at the SAQ are much younger. But they are still worthy of investigation, especially if you are a fan of port and sherry, or simply appreciate the late harvest style wines. Some of the styles are worth cellaring, much like vintage port. So what are these wines?
Maury and Banyuls, and how they differ from port, I group these two appellations together as they have similar attributes, albeit a few differences, specifically in terms of power. The wines of Banyuls, which is produced right on the Mediterranean coast, tend to be a touch more delicate than Maury, which is nestled in the foot of the Pyrenees mountains.
Both make a white version of their fortified wines out of grenache blanc, grenache gris and macabeu, but these two appellations are really about their reds. Much like port wine, the differences between the various types of wines are related to how they are aged. Still, they differ from port in a few key ways.
The first is the grapes. Both Maury and Banyuls are made primarily with grenache noir, with carignan and to a much lesser extent, syrah and mourvèdre. Port is made with a number of grapes, but primarily touriga nacional, which is much more powerful and tannic. The more delicate grenache, even when fortified, keeps this more nuanced flavour profile.
The other difference is the aging process. Like vintage port, some Banyuls and Maury are aged for more than year without contact with oxygen and then bottled to continue their evolution in-bottle. These wines are called “Rimage,” in Banyuls, and “Vendange” or ” Vintage” in Maury.
The dominant style is the oxidized wines, so much like a tawny port, whereby the wine is exposed to oxygen and acquires a nutty aroma. In both appellations, many wineries will use a technique of leaving all, or part, of the fortified wines outside in the sun in glass containers for up to two years. The combination of heat and sun speed up the oxidation process, which adds great complexity and gives them their unique character. Rivesaltes and Muscat de Rivesaltes: The rest of the Roussillon is covered by the appellation of Rivesaltes. Muscat de Rivesaltes is uniquely made of two types of muscat grape, muscat petits grains and muscat of Alexandria. These are primarily sold young and offer up a host of tropical and citrus notes. Older versions can acquire aromas of honey and dried fruit.
The Rivesaltes are made with both white and red grapes, and all are aged in this oxidative way. Amber Rivesaltes are aged a minimum of 30 months, and made entirely with white grapes. The aromatics tend toward orange, dried apricot and caramel.
Tuilé Rivesaltes are also aged a minimum of 30 months, but
Their capacity for aging is extraordinary. I tasted more than a dozen wines that were over 70 years old with the oldest being an 1875.
can be a mix of red and white grapes. These are more powerful wines with notes of cocoa, coffee, tobacco and preserved fruit.
Rivesaltes Hors d’Geis an Amber or Tuilé Rivesaltes can have a minimum of five years of age, and sometimes much more. These wines can live for decades, and even centuries, as I discovered.
Rancio is a style of wine that I particularly love. These can come in dry and sweet and are very much like sherry, where the heavy oxidation gives the wine a distinct walnut and hazelnut bitterness. The fruit is there as well, but often takes on a dried fruit character. How to drink them: Like most fortified wines, the majority of Rivesaltes, Maury and Banyuls should be served between 10 to 14 C. The young Muscats should be cooler, around 8 C. Once open, keep the bottles in the fridge and they can stay good for months.
Young muscats make great apéritifs and can be served with fruit-centric desserts. Maury, Banyuls and the rest of the Rivesaltes family are perhaps the best chocolate pairing wines around, or can be served with coffee based desserts. And the older ones, if you can find them, should just be drunk on their own. Your turn to taste La Grande Dégustation de Montréal: This is a great opportunity to meet winemakers, taste and learn about wine and spirits. More than 200 producers of wines and spirits from around the world will be on-site, and many more wines will be there to sample. Every year, a region, grape variety and a spirit are in the spotlight. This year it’s Spain, grenache and sparkling wine.
I will also be on-site, along with my fellow critics at ChacunSonvin.com, and will be hosting the “speed tasting” sessions along with two seminars on Rioja and sparkling wines. Hope to see you there. Date: Nov. 6 (3-9 p.m.) and 7 (1-9 p.m.) Where: Place Bonaventure Cost: $15 for a single day and includes tasting glass. Tastings start at $2 per wine. Details: lagrandedegustation.com