VDN Flashcards
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”
Rancio
Aromas of wood varnish, leather, strong coffee (caused by wood, oxygen, and time)
Grand Roussillon AOC
Covers VDNs made outside of the 5 leading AOCs described below
Banyuls AOC
”- Eastern end of the Pyrenees, spain to the south and mediterranean to the east
- Planted on steep terraced schist slopes
- Red wines min 50% Grenache Noir (but can include Grenache Blanc & Grenache Gris); small amount of white made”
Banyuls Grand Cru AOC
”- Only red, min 75% Grenache Noir, matured for min of 30 months
- Wines aged longer than the min of 30 months may qualify as Hors d’âge or Rancio”
Maury AOC
”- North end of Roussillon
- Planted in the foothills of the Pyrenees on dark-colored schist soils (that store heat from the day and release it at night to aid ripening)
- Red VDNs are min of 75% Grenache Noir, small amount of unaged white made”
Muscat de Rivesaltes AOC
”- Largest appellation in Roussillon in terms of production
- Always unaged, often a blend of MBaPG and Md’A”
Rivesaltes AOC
”- North end of Roussillon, close to the Med coast
- Red and white VDNs made in Grenat, Tuilé, Ambré, Hors d’âge, and Rancio styles
- Whites = max 20% Muscat (rest is Grenache Blanc, Grenache Gris, Macabeu, Malvoisie)
- Reds = Grenache Noir (mainly)”
