Fortified and Dessert Wine

A light golden, a touch of botrytis. Elegantly honeyed. Lovely fruit with acidity and honey, and a hint of orange. And a delicious finale to any meal.

90 points Wine Advocate A selection of different parcels of 50 year old Grenache Noir grown on hillsides of schist soils. After some fermentation the wine is fortified and aged in large used barrels. It offers lots of sweetness in its cassis and blackberry fruits, sugared plum and spice aromas and flavors. Full-bodied, nicely balanced and clean, it is ideal for drinking over the coming 3-4 years.

Made from Grenache Blanc this Vin doux naturel bears some relation to the better known sweet white Muscat de Rivesaltes, but with less floral and more citrus nose and more complex palate. Great dessert wine with tasrte tatin

100% Grenache Noir, harvested from various vineyards in the Roussillon is then partially fermented and spirit added to create a port like red wine, but with softer tannins and lower alcohol 16%. Sweet, fruity and a joy with chocolate.

This vineyard was planted with Chenin Blanc after the discovery that morning mists appeared in the autumn giving a great opportunity to make a sweet Botrytis style wine. Individual berries or bunches affected by Noble Rot are harvested on four separate pickings. On the palate a powerful and intense sweetness is underpinned by a crisp backbone of acidity

A Rancio wine has been fortified and allowed to oxidise by being left in direct sunlight. This adds concentration and an oxidised nutty character to the wine. Fascinating, intense and delicious.

A Traditional Banyuls, sweet, complex and marvellous, aged partly in glass bonbonnes which are exposed to the sun to achieve rancio characters, and part in old foudre. Banyuls Robert Pages is a blend of Grenache (90%) and Grenache Gris (10%). With 80 g/l residual sugar, this traditional style is a striking, fleshy wine with complex aromas of baked plums, dried figs, bitter orange, coffee, vanilla and spices. Incredibly complex and layered, the palate is opulent, round and sweet yet with a fresh and pure nutty finish. It is an excellent match with blue cheeses such as Roquefort or Gorgonzola or with a cheese plate in general.

Cherry jam and blackberry aromas, notes of vanilla and chocolate. The balanced mouth or the sugar does not dominate is prolonged with cocoa notes. Great with chocolate desserts.

The vineyard used to produce this wine is over 2000 years old, still hand worked and totally organic. Made from Grenache, perfect with chocolate.

100% Grenache Noir, harvested from various vineyards in the Roussillon is then partially fermented and spirit added to create a port like red wine, but with softer tannins and lower alcohol 16%. Sweet, fruity and a joy with chocolate.

100% Muscat, naturally fermented then mutage employed with spirit. Rich, opulent, thick and beautifully scented. Really clean and fresh none of the harshness and fire that you can get with this style. Sophisticated.

Lionel Comelade produces this stunning wine from ancient vine Macabeu and Grenache Gris grown on amazing black and white schist soil vineyards between Estagel and Latour de France in the Roussillon. Both white grapes were harvested later in the season in 1988 with high sugar levels. The grapes were partially fermented in concrete vats and then neutral brandy was added to stop fermentation and keep natural sweetness in the wine. Then the wine was passed to second use oak barrels and left in the cellar for 32 years before bottling (to order). No ‘topping up’ of the barrels occurred in the 32 years. The wine is tremendous, possibly surpassing the 1987. It is ‘ambre’ in colour. A bright, wild nose with orange rind, orange oil and warm spices. The pallet is thrilling with great complexity and depth with thrilling, wild acidity which really charms. Astonishing and quite unique. The wine is one of the best value fortified wines in the world. 32 years of age, so interesting and delicious. A steal at this price.