Domaine de Rancy
Rivesaltes, Rousillon, France
"If fame depended solely on quality, Jean-Hubert Verdaguer ought to be famous for his trove of ancient Rivesaltes. His younger Rivesaltes can be outstanding too…"
David Schildkencht - The Wine Advocate
Jean-Hubert Verdaguer and his wife, Brigitte, helm Domaine de Rancy in the Roussillon, one of only a handful of quality wineries still producing exceptional Rivesaltes in the old Ambré style. This unique type of fortified wine is a Vin Doux Naturel, in which a pure spirit is added during fermentation to stop conversion of sugar into alcohol. These are complex and incredibly versatile dessert wines, typically 16% to 20% alcohol with 85-100 grams of residual sugar, and acidity varying between 6% and 8%.
Jeb Dunnuck provides a helpful explanation of the classification: "As a quick overview, there are numerous classifications of Vins Doux Naturels, most dealing specifically with the color of the wines (Tuilé, Amber, Grenat, Rimage), but at a high level, you have four categories: Rivesaltes, Muscat de Rivesaltes, Maury and Banyuls. The Rivesaltes appellation covers the entire Roussillon region, except Banyuls and Maury, which are limited to their specific villages. While the releases from Maury and Banyuls are made primarily from Grenache, Rivesaltes can include Grenache, Carignan, Grenache Blanc, Grenache Gris, Macabeu, Malvoisie, and Muscat. These Rivesaltes Ambré from Domaine de Rancy are all made from the white Macabeu grape.... [I]t’s important to realize that these wines are fully oxidized, meaning you can open a bottle and enjoy it over days, weeks, and even months with no loss in quality."
Jean-Hubert inherited the Rancy estate from his father – its tiny parcels of old vines along with its cellars filled with old, odd sized barrels. Each barrel, some as small as 12 inches in diameter, is labeled with a cryptic numerical code indecipherable to outsiders. Descending into the cellar one gets the feeling of entering a medieval alchemist’s laboratory. The long-term oak aging results in the extremely slow oxidation mentioned above, which in turn yields a practically indestructible wine.
The grapes – 100% Macabeau – come from organically-farmed vineyards. It is the addition of neutral grape spirits that prevents them from obtaining organic certification on their Vin Doux Naturels. They are hand-picked late in the season, pressed, fermented, and fortified in tank. Only the best wine is chosen for barrel-aging, and it remains in barrel for at least 4 years (and up to 60+!). The wines are bottled as needed, unfined and unfiltered, and the wine is best served at room temperature to fully appreciate the intense, complex aromas that develop in the glass. Enjoy as an aperitif with nuts, olives, and a variety of hors d’oeuvres, or of course as a dessert wine. For fans of Madeira or quality Sherry, this is a can’t miss.
Take a look at this YouTube video discussing Domaine de Rancy.
Our Selections
NV Domaine de Rancy Rivesaltes Ambré Vin Doux Naturel 4 Ans d`Age [750ml]
4 to 10 Years in barrel “A forward, supple, beautifully textured Rivesaltes, the NV Rivesaltes Ambré 4 Ans d’Age has classic cigar wrapper, sweet toffee, dried spice and candied orange peel aromas giving way to a medium- bodied, seamless, supple and sexy profile on the palate. It has lots of sweetness, yet it’s never cloying or heavy, and is hard to resist taking another sip. This is a beautiful Rivesaltes that’s incredibly flexible with food, from sipping with almonds to start a meal, pairing with any number of fruit tarts, or just sipping on its own, you can’t go wrong here. 91pts” - Wine Advocate 4/29/15
2001 Domaine de Rancy Rivesaltes Ambré Vin Doux Naturel [500ml]
12 Years in barrel “The 2001 Rivesaltes Ambré is a classic effort that offers terrific notes of toffee, sweet caramel and dried fruits. [A]ged 13 years in old foudre, it’s gorgeously balanced, seamless and elegant, with perfect integration of its alcohol and sweetness. 94pts” - Wine Advocate 4/29/15
1984 Domaine de Rancy Rivesaltes Ambré Vin Doux Naturel [500ml]
32 yrs in barrel (BOTTLED: JANUARY 2016) “The 1984 is classic Rivesaltes, boasting a masculine, powerful bouquet of black fruits, figs, chocolate, cheese rind, and roasted coffee beans. Made from 100% Macabeu, it’s full-bodied, with a thick, unctuous texture, rock-solid overall balance, and a clean, bright finish that balances out its sweetness beautifully. Drink it just about any time over the coming 3-4 decades. 94pts”– Jeb Dunnuck 11/14/19
1973 Domaine de Rancy Rivesaltes Ambré Vin Doux Naturel [500ml]
40 Years in barrel. "Though not reviewed by any publication we can find, the 1973 vintage is one of our personal favorites. The wine walks the line between sweetness and acidity. The wine is nut brown at the core with a green/gold edge. It features a rich and nutty aroma with notes of golden raisins, chocolate, toffee and caramel. The finish is bright and remarkably long.
1969 Domaine de Rancy Rivesaltes Ambré Vin Doux Naturel [500ml]
49 Years in barrel “The 1969 Rivesaltes Ambre is one of those dessert wines that just begs for a cigar. Revealing a lighter coffee color, it offers rocking notes of sweet caramel, toffee, dried thyme, roasted coffee, and candied olives. Rich, full-bodied, and textured, it stays beautifully fresh and elegant and has a weightless, light style on the palate. 94pts” – Jeb Dunnuck 11/14/19
1965 Domaine de Rancy Rivesaltes Ambré Vin Doux Naturel [500ml]
50 Years in barrel “The 1965 Rivesaltes Ambre (100% Macabeu) spent a whopping 50 years in ancient barrels... yes, that is half a century in barrel. It’s deep, coffee color is followed by incredible notes of roasted coffee beans, browned sugar, spice, dried figs, and any number of other aromas and flavors in this general ballpark. These are mirrored on the palate where this beauty is full-bodied and decadently textured; yet, for all its girth and richness, it still glides across the palate and never puts a foot wrong. This is a fabulous Rivesaltes that I wish every reader could taste. 96pts” -Wine Advocate 4/27/16
1959 Domaine de Rancy Rivesaltes Ambré Vin Doux Naturel [500ml]
49 Years in barrel “The Rancy 1959 Rivesaltes Ambre leads with scents of decaying and smoldering autumn foliage and a maritime mingling of saline and alkaline elements, all of which migrate to a firm and remarkably juicy palate where they fascinatingly compliment toasted hickory, candied orange rind, dark chocolate, and plum distillate, whose zest, piquancy, and pungency rally for a finish that practically sizzles. There is to be sure lots to meditate on here, but if you are thinking of remaining in a contemplative mood while sipping your way through a glass of this, think again, because it has too much nervous energy and is too insistently penetrating to let you! 93pts” -Wine Advocate 5/1/11
1952 Domaine de Rancy Rivesaltes Ambré Vin Doux Naturel [500ml]
65 yrs in barrel (BOTTLED: OCTOBER 2017)
1948 Domaine de Rancy Rivesaltes Ambré Vin Doux Naturel [500ml]
64 Years in barrel “The 1948 Rivesaltes Ambre is made all from white grapes (100% Macabeu) and this bottling saw 65 years in ancient barrels. It’s an incredible fortified wine that is overflowing with notes of toasted nuts, tobacco leaf, espresso, sour cream and caramelized sugar. While this originally started out slightly lighter in weight than the 1965, it gained depth and richness with time in the glass. Big, full-bodied, silky and beautifully textured, it’s another tour de force in Rivesaltes that’s an honor to drink. 96pts” - Wine Advocate 4/27/16