Domaine Fontanel Rivesaltes Ambre is a delicious Vin Doux Naturels made from Grenache Blanc and Grenache Gris. Like Port, the wine is fortified with grape brandy to stop the fermentation and leave the wine higher in alcohol and sweet. It is then aged in large oak barrels so takes on an amber colour and oxidised notes over time. The result is a wine with immense flavour and complexity which is delicious with pudding and cheese. There are sherry type flavours along with Christmas cake aromas, dried fruit, orange peel, figs, dates and walnuts.
Domaine Fontanel is an unassuming winery built into the terraced main street of the sleepy town of Tautavel. It couldn’t be owned by a nicer couple in Elodie & Matthieu Collet who took over the Domaine in early 2017. Pierre Fontanel, the previous owner, remains on the team as consultant wine maker and together they have formed a formidable team which blends the traditional knowhow of Pierre with the modern, forward-thinking approach of Elodie and Matthieu. The Domaine has 20 hectares under vine which are now farmed organically and the youthful philosophy of Elodie and Matthieu is starting to shine through in the vines. The winery has always had a reputation for making quality wines, but it might be fair to say that under Pierre the wines were quite old school, relatively high in tannin and not very approachable in their youth. This has been remedied and the wines are now softer, juicier and fruit driven. Elodie and Matthieu also continue to make fortified styles of wine which are deliciously versatile pudding wines that, although slightly unfashionable, are terrific value and super popular.
