Arnaud de Villeneuve Rivesaltes Ambré 20 Years 75 cl. 16%

Arnaud de Villeneuve delivers a school example of good Rivesaltes, here in a 20-year-old version. It is made from the grapes Grenache blanc, Grenache gris and Macabeu from fields in Roussillon between the Pyrenees and the coast.

Before the fermentation is finished, it is stopped by adding distilled alcohol. This preserves a nice sweetness in the wine, which achieves enormous complexity when it is subsequently stored, first in concrete containers and then in old oak barrels. The wine is blended from several vintages, and the 20 years indicated on the label is the youngest component in the blend. Some components are much older!

The wine contains just under 140 grams of sugar per litre.

Colour: Copper.
Smell: Powerful but elegant scent of fig, Madagascar vanilla, walnuts and coffee.
Tasting notes: Dark and sweet, with notes of dried fruit, caramel and rancio.

Serving suggestion: Enjoy it slightly chilled, e.g. with nuts, cheese or desserts that are not too sweet.

With a lively sherry color, NV Rivesaltes Ambre 20 Ans (Grenache Blanc, Grenache Gris and Macabeu) spent 20-25 years in a mix of concrete tanks, foudres and older barrels. Crafted in a clean, fresh, elegant style, it offers classic notes of caramel, toasted spice, candied oranges and white raisins. This medium to full-bodied beauty will be perfect as an aperitif with light cheese or toasted nuts. I’d be drinking bottles over the next decade, but as with all these fortified endeavors, it’s bound to last longer. Drink date: 2017-2027. Score – 90. (Jeb Dunnuck, robertparker.com, April 28, 2017)

Arnaud de Villeneuve is a cooperative located in the town of Rivesaltes in Roussillon. It was founded in 2007 when two old, reputable companies, Cave de Salses from 1909 and Cellars de Rivesaltes from 1932, merged. Today, the cooperative counts more than 220 members who supply grapes from a multitude of different terroirs and collaborate on a large and varied portfolio of wines. The most famous are the sweet wine doux naturel and the oxidative rancio. The company’s impressive and carefully guarded cellar still stores wines from the 1930s – and the prices are surprisingly affordable for wine of that quality and provenance.