What are Vin Doux Naturels?
Category of French wines made sweet by the addition of spirit during fermentation
Where are they made?
Many PDOs in France throughout Roussillon (80%), Languedoc, and southern Rhône
Climate
Warm Mediterranean
Climate Description/Impact
”- Rousillon = warmest, driest due to the Tramontane wind which leads to greater transpiration from the grapes during the end of ripening, hence a greater concentration of sugar
- Rain during the growing season is scarce (typical med climate)
- More sugar concentration means less spirit required to fortify the wines but also lowers yields”
Grape Varieties
Muscat (2) and Grenache
Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains
”- Variety is most widely planted in France (plantings increasing due to demand for use in unfortified wines)
- Greater intensity of aroma and flavor than MdAlexandria
- Tolerant of dry weather (good for med climate)
- Susceptible to powdery mildew, botrytis, and mites”
Muscat d’Alexandria
”- Achieves higher sugar levels than MBaPG
- Tolerant of dry weather
- Susceptible to powdery mildew, botrytis
- Plantings in decline, thought of as less refined than MBaPG”
Grenache Noir
”- Late ripening, good drought resistance = suitable to med climates
- High yields, pale color unless controlled, fast sugar accumulation
- Susceptible to coulure at fruit set, downy mildew, phomopsis, and botrytis “
Vineyard Management
”- Shady canopy to reduce sunburn and excessive shrivelling (due to warm climate)
- Must be picked with a min of 14.8% abv potential, usually picked close to that to retain as much acidity as possible
- Hand harvested
- Late Harvest and Botrytis NOT desired”
Winemaking
”- Produced by adding grape spirit to stop fermentation early to give a sweet fortified wine
- Min concentration of RS depends on PDO but ranges from (100 g/L to 125 g/L) for Muscat-based wines and (45 g/L - but more often 100 g/L) for Grenache-based wines
- Neutral spirit of 95 - 96% abv used
- Spirit added when ferm reached 5 - 8% abv to make wines of 15 - 18% abv”
Winemaking - VDNs from white grapes
”- Stainless steel fermentation around 59 degrees F
- Pressed, may or may not macerate for extraction, must fermented off the skins, may or may not blend press juice w/ free run juice to add body and texture
- Unaged VDNs, must may be chilled and stored for a period of months and then fermented based on demand to ensure wines are as fresh as possible (using protective winemaking to preserve fresh aromas)”
Winemaking - VDNs from red grapes
”- Stainless steel fermentation around 82 degrees F
- Must fermented and fortified while in contact with skins
- Addition of spirit increases the extraction of color, flavor, and tannins (important for long ageing)
- Maceration may continue for a couple weeks past fortification to max extraction
- Punching down + pumping over for cap management”
Maturation - Youthful/Unaged Wines
”- Released for sale a few months after fermentation, stored protectively (stainless blanketed w/ inert gas, for example)
- Muscat-based: Primary aromas of florals and grapes + peach, pear, honey
- Grenache-based: Primary aromas of blackberries, raspberry, plums”
Maturation - Oxidatively Aged Wines
”- Matured in a variety of vessels over a period of several years
- Old Oak Barrels: not topped up to encourage oxidation
- Glass Demi-Johns (bonbonnes): not quite full, un-stoppered, and left outside in the sun to speed up the ageing process; these wines may be 1) directly bottled for sale, 2) transferred and matured further in barrels, or 3) used as a blending component w/ oxy aged wines from barrel”
Rhône - VDN Appellations (2)
Muscat de Beaumes-de-Venise and Vin Doux Naturel Rasteau
Muscat de Beaumes-de-Venise
”- Planted on terraces on s/e facing slopes of the Dentelles de Montmirail (shelter from the Mistral + aids ripening)
- Majority = white VDN from MBaPG (some Muscat a Petits Grains Rouge - brown muscat - for red and rosé VDNs)
- Unaged style
- Med body, med acid, low alc (15%), primary aromas of blossom, grape, peach, honey”
Vin Doux Naturel Rasteau
”- Red (most of production), rosé (via saignee), or white (tiny bit made)
- Unaged or Oxidative
- Red = 75% Grenache Noir (blended w/ Gren Gris or Blanc or other S. Rhône Grapes)
- Gentle S-facing slopes = very ripe grapes = Juicy, jammy flavors
- Unaged: cherries, plums, low to med alc (16 - 18%)
- Oxidative: dried fruit, nuts, low to med alc (16 - 18%)”
Languedoc
”- Must be Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains
- Unaged style
- Appellations: Muscat de Frontignan (fuller body, tropical fruits), Muscat de St-Jean-de-Minervois (higher acidity, lighter body, stone fruits and florals)”
Roussillon
”- VDNs = 45% of total production in Roussillon
- VDNs made in a range of styles (5)”
Roussillon Style - Grenat/Rimage/Blanc
Unaged red (Grenat used in Maury, Rivesaltes; Rimage used in Banyuls); Blanc = unaged white
Roussillon Style - Tuilé/Traditionnel
Oxidative red (Tuilé used in Maury, Rivesaltes; Traditionnel used in Banyuls)
Roussillon Style - Ambré
Oxidative white
Roussillon Style - Hors d’âge
Red or white that has matured oxidatively for a longer period than Tuilé and Ambré
Roussillon Style - Rancio
Red or white VDN with “Rancio character”
