Description
Château Villargeil, Rivesaltes
Southern France’s Vin Doux Naturel (VDN), was first made in the 13th century when mutage was discovered. Put simply, this is a process where a neutral spirit is added to prematurely kill yeast and suspend fermentation, leaving a concentrated, sweet wine with elevated alcohol (essentially the same practice used to make Port, but this does not taste like Port!). The Languedoc-Roussillon region has been the traditional home of these wines in appellations such as Maury, Banyuls, and Rivesaltes.
Not much information can be gleaned from Château Villargeil, other than that they were a major provider for France’s sweet wine-loving contingent back in the mid-20th century. Really, the only vestiges of their existence lie within this ‘45 and a couple of other bottlings, one of which dates back to 1938. Today’s offering predominantly consists of hand-harvested Grenache with small percentages of other local varieties that were fermented and fortified before resting in a foudre (a massive, old French barrel) for nearly three-quarters of a century. It was bottled without any additives by Philippe in 2018.
For gems like this, I must reiterate that it would be a crime to lose it in a cluster of wines at a party, so make sure you’re in a clear state of mind and in a quieter environment with close friends. One or two ounces should be served around 55-60 degrees in an all-purpose stem and savored slowly. Plus, because each sweet sip brings incalculable depth, power, and concentration, there’s no rush to consume your bottle: It can be enjoyed over several weeks and months if placed in the fridge with the cork tightly inserted—or further cellared for decades to come.
