1985 Domaine Le Vieux Chene Rivesaltes

Rivesaltes is a region that shouldn't be overlooked. These wines are built to age, easily developing for over half a century. Made in a similar style to Port, the base wine is fermented until the desired amount of sugar is left, then a neutral grape spirit is added to fortify the wine and halt fermentation. This process called Mutage allows the sweetness to be achieved using only the naturally occurring sugars in the grapes. The combination of the high sugar and the added grape spirit, give this wine its innate ability to develop slowly for decades. 

Rivesaltes is a region within Rousillon in southern France at the foot of the Pyrenees mountains. The region is famed for these sweet wines and the local grape varieties that go into them. What is unique to the region is the emphasis on white wine grapes with a heavy focus on Grenache Blanc, Grenache Gris, Maccabeo, and Grenache Noir.