Muscat de Rivesaltes

One of these days I had a connection from Perpinyà, le centre du monde (according to Salvador Dalí).



This post is a tribute to my friend André Coll, probably the best muscat producer in the world. Here in the right you can see the sweet and dry muscats respectively.
The vins doux naturels appellations are one of the traditional characteristics of Roussillon, which produces some 85% of all French vins doux naturels. They have been made for centuries, using a process known in French as "mutage" (which is essentially fortification, using a spirit to halt fermentation, as in port and sherry). Roussillon claims that mutage was discovered in 1285 by one Arnau de Vilanova, a doctor and philosopher who spent much of his life in Montpellier. He discovered that by adding a neutral alcohol in the proportion of between 5% and 10% to the fermenting wine, the alcohol would kill the yeasts and so the fermentation would be stopped, leaving a naturally sweet wine, as the fruit sugars have not been consumed by the yeast. Due to this procedure they achieve this outstanding sweet wine, which has nothing to do with our "moscatell" even though it is the same grape.


(for more information look at http://www.lancs.ac.uk/staff/exaajs/wine/stbacchus2005.htm)


Chateau Pradal is at a walking distance from the train station. The exact address is: 58, Rue Pépinière Robin 66000 PERPIGNAN
http://www.caves-particulieres.com/membres/pradal

He has a large selection of sweet wines. You can see three more here below (with their corresponding medals). Cuvée Auréliene and Clément receive these names due to his kids.


prizes:

a été récompensé :
Médaille Or: Muscat de Rivesaltes - CENTRE DUMONDE 1998 (Blanc)

Médaille Bronze: Rivesaltes - AURELIEN 1995 (Rouge / Rosé)

Médaille Or: Muscat de Rivesaltes - 2000 (Blanc)

Médaille Or: Rivesaltes - CUVEE CLEMENT-FUT DE CHENE 1997 (Ambré)

Médaille Bronze: Côtes du Roussillon - 2002 (Rosé)

Médaille Bronze: Rivesaltes - VICTOIRE 2001 (Rouge)

Médaille Bronze: VIN DE PAYS DES COTES CATALANES - ALEXANDRIE 2003 (Blanc)Médaille Argent: Rivesaltes - 1999 (Blanc)

Médaille OrMuscat de Rivesaltes - 1998 (Blanc)