Red Vin Doux Naturel (VDN) are usually made using blends of Grenache Noir. These wines are from the same areas as the white VDNs from last week, southern France. Red VDN can be made in an unaged method to produce fruity wines, which have dominant raspberry, red and black plum and blackberry notes. The unaged versions are stored in stainless steel and sold not long after fermentation. There are also aged versions that can either be aged in neutral oak barrels or in glass containers called bonbonnes. The glass containers will be placed in the sunlight to hasten the aging process. Following this, the wine can be bottled and sold or moved to barrels for slower, long term aging. If these wines are going to be aged for longer periods, during the winemaking process, the winemaker will maximize extraction of tannin, color, and flavors that can hold up to the prolonged time period. This is done by fermenting and fortifying the grape must while it is still in contact with the grape skins. The increased alcohol content and warm fermentation temperature will extract more of the desired compounds. Fortifying the wine will occur before the fermentation process is complete to ensure the desired amount of sugar remains in the wine. By law, there must be at least 45g/L of sugar remaining in the wine, but in practice, this amount is considerably higher.
This week, I drank a Ortas Cave de Rasteau Signature Rasteau from the Vin Doux Naturel Rasteau appellation in Rhône. This region produces red, rosé and a tiny amount of white wines. By law, the red wines must contain a minimum of 75% Grenache Noir. The remaining portion can be made up of Grenache Gris and Grenache Blanc or other grape varieties from southern Rhône. This wine is a medium ruby color with aromas of dried cherries, prunes, black raspberries, kirsch, raisin, dried fig, toasted walnut and dark chocolate. This sweet, full bodied wine has minimal smooth tannins and a moderate level of alcohol for a fortified product. The moderate level of acidity helped decrease the perception of sweetness. The pronounced dried fruit character combined with nutty and chocolatey character, consistent with the oxidative aging process this wine underwent. This wine would pair well with a rich chocolate dessert, like molten chocolate cake or dark chocolate covered strawberries. This would make a wonderful nightcap after a romantic Valentine’s Day dinner!
-TheLooseTannin
A Trip Around the World of Wine in 52 Weeks 