Natural sweet wines of Roussillon

A vin doux naturel owes its sweetness to the grape alone. During fermentation, the winemaker adds a neutral grape spirit to the must: this is mutage. The yeasts stop working, part of the fruit’s sugars remains, and the wine reaches at least 15% vol. Roussillon, which the INAO describes as the historic cradle of these wines, has five appellations: Banyuls, Banyuls Grand Cru, Maury, Rivesaltes and Muscat de Rivesaltes.

The principle of mutage was established in the 13th century, and tradition associates it with the physician Arnau de Vilanova. At Maury, a municipal decree required at least 75% Grenache Noir as early as 1908. In 1936, Banyuls, Maury and Rivesaltes were among the first appellations d’origine recognised in France; Muscat de Rivesaltes followed in 1956, and Banyuls Grand Cru in 1962.

At Banyuls, the musts must reach 252 grams of sugar per litre, the harvest is picked by hand in successive passes, and yields are limited to 30 hectolitres per hectare. For some red wines, the mutage spirit is poured over the grapes, before a maceration that can last nearly a month. Everything is then decided during ageing. Protected from the air, the wine keeps its fruit: these are the « rimage » of Banyuls and the « grenat » of Maury and Rivesaltes. In contact with the air, in casks or sometimes in glass demijohns left in the sun, it becomes « ambré » or « tuilé », and may develop the taste of walnuts and dried fruit known as rancio.

Each appellation has its own landscape. Banyuls spreads across four communes of the Côte Vermeille, where thousands of kilometres of low stone walls hold back the schist. Maury occupies a valley of black schist, at the foot of the limestone cliffs overlooked by Quéribus. Rivesaltes and Muscat de Rivesaltes extend over a large part of the département; the latter is made from two Muscats, Muscat à petits grains and Muscat of Alexandria. At table, a grenat or a rimage goes with dark chocolate, a red Banyuls with blue cheeses, an old rancio with caramelised desserts; the Muscat de Noël is drunk young, during the festive season.