The Bertrand family
2025 Advent Calendar – Day 24: Legend Vintage Rivesaltes 1949
Advent Calendar · Day 24
A journey through the Languedoc in 24 wines. On our sun-drenched land in the south of France, we cultivate excellence, sustainability and a passion for wine to share the Mediterranean art de vivre in every bottle.
Legend Vintage Rivesaltes 1949
Rivesaltes AOP
100 ml tasting experience
The Rivesaltes vineyards extend across 86 communes in Pyrénées-Orientales and 9 in Aude. The soils consist mainly of weathered granite and gneiss and brown and black schist, with some red limestone soils. This unique terroir is where this Rivesaltes, made from Grenache Noir, Maccabeu and Grenache Gris, originates.
After the undestemmed Grenache and Maccabeu grapes are trodden by foot, they undergo a brief maceration. The white grape varieties are vinified by fermenting the musts as juice after pressing, while the red grape varieties macerate in contact with their skins. Fortification stops the yeast before it can convert all the sugar into alcohol, preserving some of the fruit’s natural sweetness. The wine then ages very slowly in oak, in large casks, demi-muids or barrels, for over fifty years, producing a Rivesaltes of exceptional complexity and depth.
Terroir
- Location
- Pyrénées-Orientales & Aude – Roussillon, France
- Climate
- Mediterranean climate with mountain influence from the Pyrenees
- Soils
- weathered granite and gneiss, brown and black schist, red limestone soils
Tasting notes
Colour
Amber colour with brick-red highlights
Nose
Delicate rancio aromas mingle with notes of macerated dark fruit and gingerbread, developing into dried fruit (currants), apricot, blond tobacco and cedar, with touches of honey
Palate
A direct opening, followed by a balanced, powerful and smooth palate with a remarkably long finish
Technical information
- Grape varieties
- Grenache Noir, Macabeo, Grenache Gris
- Cultivation
- Biodynamic
- Yield
- 25 hl/ha
- Planting density
- > 5000 vines/ha
- Alcohol
- 16% vol
- Serving
- Serve lightly chilled.
- Ageing potential
- Over 50 years
Winemaking
- Foot-treading of undestemmed Grenache and Maccabeu grapes.
- Brief grape maceration.
- For the white grape varieties, pressing is followed by fermentation of the musts as juice.
- For the red grape varieties, the musts macerate in contact with the skins.
- Fortification to stop the yeast activity and preserve some of the grapes’ natural sugars.
- Aged in oak in large casks, demi-muids or barrels.
- Slow maturation in barrels for over fifty years.
Food and wine pairings
Roquefort
the contrast between the wine’s sweetness and the cheese’s salty, powerful character
Chocolate desserts
the wine’s aromatic richness stands up to the intensity of the cocoa
Walnut cake
a natural match for the notes of dried fruit and honey
Extend the experience
Did you enjoy this 100 ml tasting of Legend Vintage Rivesaltes 1949?
Discover and buy the full bottle.
Advent Calendar project created in collaboration with our partners Someli and Coravin.
Explore the 24 wines
Click a number to discover each wine
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