🍷 Rivesaltes

Rivesaltes is a French appellation for vins doux naturels, sweet wines whose fermentation is stopped by adding grape spirit. It was first recognised in 1936 and covers 85 communes of the Pyrénées-Orientales and 9 of the Aude, in Roussillon.

The wine is made by mutage: neutral grape spirit of at least 96% is added to the fermenting must, 5–10% of its volume in pure alcohol, before 31 December of the harvest year. The finished wine has at least 15% actual and 21.5% total alcohol and at least 45 g/l of sugar. Enrichment and anything that changes the colour are forbidden.

The name always carries one of four mentions. Grenat is made only from Grenache noir and kept away from air until at least 30 April after the harvest; it is sold from 1 May. Ambré and tuilé are aged with air until at least 31 August of the second year after the harvest; tuilé must contain Grenache noir. There is also a rosé.

The main grapes are Grenache blanc, gris and noir, Macabeu and Tourbat (locally Malvoisie du Roussillon); the two Muscats may make up no more than 20%. Ambré and tuilé aged until 31 August of the fifth year may be called «hors d'âge», and those that develop the «goût de rancio» may say «rancio».