Rivesaltes

The Rivesaltes vineyard covers more than 4,000 hectares spread across 86 municipalities in the Pyrénées-Orientales and 9 municipalities in the Aude. Production is very diverse: "Ambré, Tuilé, Grenat and Hors d'âge." The decree of December 29, 1997, relating to the appellation distinguishes between these four main types of Rivesaltes. Amber Rivesaltes wines, made from Grenache Blanc and Gris, Macabeu, Malvoisie du Roussillon, Muscat Petits Grains, and Muscat d'Alexandrie, are aged in an oxidative environment for at least two years in large containers (vats or oak casks). They have a beautiful dark golden or amber color and are distinguished by their aromas of hazelnut, almond, walnut shell, candied citrus, and roasted notes. Rivesaltes red wines bottled young (75% Grenache Noir) are aged in a reductive environment for at least 12 months, including 3 months in bottles. They seduce with their deep ruby color and aromas of red berries (cherry, blackcurrant, raspberry, blackberry). Rivesaltes tuilés (50% Grenache Noir) are aged in large containers in contact with the air for at least 2 years. Their color is a beautiful tile red with brown or orange highlights. They develop aromas of coffee, cocoa, tobacco, and candied fruit (fig, prune, strawberry, quince). The term "hors d'âge" (aged beyond its normal age) may be added to the terms "ambré" (amber) and "tuilé" (tiled) for Rivesaltes appellation wines that have been aged for at least five years after production.

The Rivesaltes appellation takes its name from the town of Rivesaltes, which means "high banks" in Catalan. Crossed by three rivers—the Agly, the Têt, and the Tech—which have shaped a landscape of terraced hillsides and rolling hills, the Rivesaltes vineyards cover extremely diverse soils: sometimes white, like the pebbles of the middle and upper terraces or the granite arenas of the Albères; sometimes red, like the clay and silt found in the foothills of the Corbières or in the Aspres; and sometimes black or brown, like the schist of the Agly valley. The terroir of Rivesaltes is fully expressed in the wines produced by Domaine Sarda-Malet, Domaine de Rancy and Domaine La Casenove.