Is Rasteau a good wine?
These hearty wines come in various shades of white, rosé, tawny and red depending on how they are made and aged. Best enjoyed in their youth they seem to be making a revival, although they are not as good or as popular as those from the Rhône’s other Vin Doux Naturel appellation, Muscat de Beaumes de Venise.
What is a Rasteau wine?
Rasteau is an Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée for wine in the southern Rhône wine region of France, covering both fortified and unfortified wines. The sweet fortified wines (Vin Doux Naturel, VDN) can be red, rosé or white, and have long been produced under the Rasteau AOC.
What is Mutage in wine?
French for stopping fermentation, by additionn of alcohol during the fermentation, in order to keep residual sugar and strong typical flavours. Particularly used in Roussillon for Maury and Banyuls (Port style wine) and all kind of Muscat wines.
How is vin doux naturel made?
Vins doux naturel (naturally sweet wine) is produced by using pure grape spirit to stop fermentation, while there is still a significant quantity of sugar remaining. This process results in a sweet wine with a higher alcohol level (around 16 percent in this case).
What does Rasteau taste like?
AOC Rasteau is for red, still wines only from approved parcels of vines. These reds are full-bodied and rich with concentrated bramble fruit, violet and cooking spice aromas and flavours along with spirity, dried fruit notes.
Is Cotes du Rhone a dry wine?
White Côtes du Rhône Villages wines are generally made in a fresh, dry style and have a tangy, floral profile. They are predominantly made from Grenache Blanc, Clairette, Marsanne, Roussanne, Bourboulenc and/or Viognier (the principal white varieties).
What is cairanne wine?
Cairanne is an appellation for quality red, white and rosé wines from the parish of Cairanne in the southern half of the Rhone Valley in France. The other red grapes that are permitted are those of a standard Côtes du Rhône red wine blend.
What does Mutage mean?
: the checking of fermentation (as by adding alcohol) in the must of grapes.
Is Vin Doux sweet or dry?
Vin Doux Naturel is a sweet, alcohol-fortified wine, a French specialty whose “natural sweetness”, unlike conventional sweet wine making, results from the addition of alcohol, which prevents the further conversion of glucose to alcohol.
What does vin doux naturel mean?
natural sweet wine
French for natural sweet wine, this style of fortified wine is made from grapes with a naturally high sugar content.
What kind of wine does Rasteau village produce?
Rasteau is a parish in the southern Rhone valley, located roughly 15 miles (24 km) northeast of the famous Chateauneuf-du-Pape. The village and its vineyards are perhaps best known for their sweet red vin doux naturel, but they also produce dry wine (red, rosé and white).
What makes Rasteau vin doux naturel so special?
Vins doux naturel (naturally sweet wine) is produced by using pure grape spirit to stop fermentation, while there is still a significant quantity of sugar remaining. This process results in a sweet wine with a higher alcohol level (around 16% in this case). Rasteau’s vineyards also produce dry red wines of high quality.
What kind of grapes are used in vin doux naturel?
They are made in various hues, all from hand harvested Grenache grapes – Grenache Blanc, Grenache Gris or Grenache Noir. Vins doux naturel (naturally sweet wine) is produced by using pure grape spirit to stop fermentation, while there is still a significant quantity of sugar remaining.