Haute Coutume 1986

Soil

The vineyards for this wine stretch between the rolling hillsides and the coastline, over the Roussillon plain. The old vines grow on poor, clay-limestone soils.

Grape varieties

Grenache blanc, Grenache gris.

Production method

The grapes were harvested at the time by hand and fermented as for classic whites. The berries were pressed immediately. Fermentation of the resultant juice was arrested by adding spirits, thus retaining natural grape sugar. The wine was then aged in an oxidative atmosphere for several years.

Ageing

The wine underwent lengthy oxidative ageing in tuns. The typicity and character of the wine stem from the craftsmanship required for this type of ageing.

Description

Beautiful, clear, bright old gold hue with russet-red highlights. The nose is powerful and complex and delivers an outstanding array of aromas intermixing tangerine, gingerbread, candied fruits and mellow scents of mature oak tuns. The palate is warm and enchanting and reveals notes of coffee, toasted almond and nuts rounded off by a touch of candied citrus and a finish marked by a trace of rancio.

Storing

Already excellent but will still age beautifully in your cellar for several decades more.

Serving suggestion

Excellent as an aperitif or after-dinner drink, it makes the ideal partner for crema catalana, chocolate fondant cake, tangerine meringue pie and tiramisu. It is also a stunning complement to sweet and sour dishes such as duck à l’orange, lamb tagine with apricots, caramelised pork ribs or cheeses like Roquefort, pressed ewe’s milk cheese and Comté served with fig jam.

Serving temperature

Serve at between 12°C and 14°C