GOLD MEDAL Concours Général Agricole, Paris.
One of the jewels of our heritage. The venerable old vines Grey (20%) & White Grenache (50%) & Macabeu (30%) yield late harvest sun–drenched grapes with delicate aromas. the fermentation is stopped with brandy, then the wine is aged 3 years in open vats and additional 3 years in barrels. Resulting precious golden hue liquid is rich in candied citrus fruit, dried prunes & roasted coffee notes. Serve at 10ºC as an aperitif or dessert. Try it with spicy cuisine (oriental & fusion) or dried fruits, nuts & gourmet cheese.

Ambre is a classification of VDN from Rivesaltes, Maury and Banyuls based on white grapes aged oxidatively a minimum of 30 months. This particular VDN is from Rivesaltes and exceeds that ageing requirement seeing 5 years in oak. Medium amber in appearance. Rancio (hazelnut, toffee, caramel, dried fruit like fig and raisin) mingle with grapey notes, honey and ginger. It is sweet, has excellent length, but a slight alcohol burn keeps my score shy of 90. Interesting example of a Rivesalte that we don't see very often in Ontario. May 2019.