1945 | Chateau Villargeil | Rivesaltes

Rivesaltes is a naturally sweet wine (VDN) which has had Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) since 1936, produced near the town of the same name (Pyrénées Orientales). As a naturally sweet wine, Rivesaltes is a fortified wine, namely wine to which 5 to 10% of wine spirit has been added (neutral alcohol, at 96°) to the must of grapes during fermentation, in order to arrest fermentation and thus retain residual (natural) sugars that are not converted into alcohol. As well as arresting the action of the yeast, adding strong alcohol naturally generates a higher degree of alcohol than for traditional wines.

Reviews:

• Vinous: The 1945 Rivesaltes has a burnished amber colour, very clear in the glass. The bouquet is quite oxidative and nutty in style, hints of cigar humidor and peaty aromas. The palate is medium-bodied with tangy marmalade, quince and light spicy notes. The oxidation is less pronounced than the nose and perhaps less complex and deep as anticipated, especially in the second half. It is certainly a more elegant style of Rivesaltes although I was expecting a little more length, hence the lower score.

Producer Information

Not much information can be gleaned from Château Villargeil, other than that they were a major provider for France’s sweet wine-loving contingent back in the mid-20th century. Really, the only vestiges of their existence lie within this ‘45 and a couple of other bottlings, one of which dates back to 1938. Today’s offering predominantly consists of hand-harvested Grenache with small percentages of other local varieties that were fermented and fortified before resting in a foudre (a massive, old French barrel) for nearly three-quarters of a century. It was bottled without any additives by Philippe in 2018.

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