Top 3 natural sweet wines

Discover the Top 3 natural sweet wines produced in Fenouillèdes which, thanks to its varied soils,
concentrates various prestigious protected designations of origin.

Discover the subtle blends of grenache, muscat, macabeu, carignan or syrah…
and visit the winegrowers for tastings and direct sales.

Le Maury

The appellation covers 331 hectares, spread around the commune of Maury, as well as in Tautavel, Saint-Paul-de-Fenouillet and Rasiguères. The terroir extends over hills of schist and black marl.
The Appellation d’Origine Protégée (AOP) covers both whites and reds, oxidized or unoxidized depending on the type of ageing.

White grape varieties: Grenache blanc and gris, Macabeu, Malvoisie du Roussillon, Muscat d’Alexandrie, Petit Grains
Red grape varieties: Grenache noir, Carignan, Syrah

Gustatory characteristics of the wines according to their typology:
– Maury “Vendange”, “Récolte”, or “Vintage”: aged for a minimum of 12 months. Powerful, complex wines with notes of black fruit.
– Maury blanc: aged for at least 12 months. Wines with white fruit and citrus notes that evolve over time into candied fruit and honey flavors.
– Maury red: oxidized with notes of dried fruit, cocoa and coffee.
– Maury hors d’âge: aged for a minimum of 5 years in an oxidative environment.
– Maury Rancio: acquiring the Rancio taste through ageing.

More information

Rivesaltes

The terroir extends over granitic and gneissic soils, brown and black schists, as well as red limestone soils.
The PDO concerns amber, tuilé and garnet.

Varieties:
– Rivesaltes grenat: grenache noir
– Rivesaltes tuilé: grenache noir and amber Rivesaltes varieties excluding muscats
– Rivesaltes ambré: grenache blanc and gris, Macabeu, Malvoisie du Roussillon, Muscat petits grains and Muscat d’Alexandrie.

Gustatory characteristics of the wines according to their typology:
– Rivesaltes Grenat: aged in a reducing medium, including three months in bottle. Gourmet, rich wines with cherry and blackberry aromas.
– Rivesaltes Ambré: aged for a minimum of thirty months in an oxidative environment. Complex wines with notes of candied orange, gingerbread, dried fruit, caramel and sweet spices.
– Rivesaltes Tuilé: aged for at least 30 months in an oxidizing environment. Intense wines with notes of toast, cocoa, coffee, tobacco and candied fruit.
– Rivesaltes Hors d’Âge: reserved for amber or tiled Rivesaltes with a minimum of five years’ ageing.
– Rivesaltes Rancio: acquisition through age, ageing and terroir of the Rancio taste (nuts, dried fruit…).

Muscat de Rivesaltes

The terroir develops on the same soils as Rivesaltes, and concerns the Blancs.
Varieties: Muscat à Petits Grains and Muscat d’Alexandrie

Taste characteristics:
The color and taste of Muscats de Rivesaltes vary according to the proportion of each grape variety, the terroir, the winemaking and their age.
Young Muscats are pale gold with aromas reminiscent of peach, lemon, mango and mint. After a few years, their color takes on amber hues and their aromas evolve towards notes of honey and candied apricot.

– Muscat à petits grains: fine and fresh, it brings aromas of exotic fruits, mint and lemon.
– Muscat d’Alexandrie: powerful and intense, Muscat d’Alexandrie gives fullness and aromas of ripe fruit, grapes and rose.
– Muscat de Noël: the first Muscat de Rivesaltes of the year, obtained after tasting the wines from the last harvest. It is marketed from the third Thursday in November to the end of January.

– Christmas Muscat: the first Muscat de Rivesaltes of the year, obtained after tasting the wines from the last harvest.