Overview
France's greatest fortified wine — and the only one that pairs magnificently with chocolate. Ancient Grenache vines on near-vertical black schist terraces above the Mediterranean at the Spanish border. The Rancio style (oxidative ageing) produces wines of extraordinary walnut and coffee complexity.
In The Glass
- Colour
- Medium garnet
- Nose
- Dried cherry, Fig, Prune, Walnut and Rancio.
- Palate
- France's Vino de Jerez — aged Grenache, chocolate-perfect. Generally full-bodied, soft acidity, soft tannins, sweet, with a very long finish.
Tasting Profile
Body Full4/5
Tannins Soft2/5
Acidity Soft2/5
Sweetness Sweet4/5
Alcohol Very High5/5
Grapes
Grenache NoirGrenache GrisGrenache Blanc
Aromas And Notes
Dried cherryFigPruneDark chocolateCoffeeWalnutRancioCaramelTobaccoCoffeeLeatherOrange peel
Terroir
Mediterranean extreme — dry, hot, Tramontane wind. No irrigation ever.
Black schistVolcanicGneiss
Food Pairings
Dark chocolateCrème brûléeBlue cheeseWalnuts
Notable Producers
- Domaine du Mas Blanc, founded 1897 - Banyuls Vieilles Vignes
- Cellier des Templiers, founded 1946 - President Henry Vidal