1959 | Chateau Villargeil | Rivesaltes

Detailed Description

It has a very harmonious and pure bouquet with scents of orange rind, quince, Earl Grey and a touch of dry tobacco, exuding great clarity. Vivid! The palate is very well defined with quince and marmalade on the entry. There is no sense of heaviness here, but there is a heartwarming, sensual and viscous texture that seduces the senses, with just the right amount of spice enlivening the finish.

Reviews:

• Wine Advocate: Philippe Gayral purchased the single foudres of 1958 Rivesaltes from Ch√¢teau Villargeil in 2009. It has a very harmonious and pure bouquet with scents of orange rind, quince, Earl Grey and a touch of dry tobacco, exuding great clarity. Vivid! The palate is very well defined with quince and marmalade on the entry. There is no sense of heaviness here, but there is a heartwarming, sensual and viscous texture that seduces the senses, with just the right amount of spice enlivening the finish. This is superb.

Producer Information

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.