1953 Domaine La Sobilane - Rivesaltes b.2017 (750ml)

Domaine La Sobilane is a small estate in French Roussillon, near the Spanish border, run by Philippe Gayral and devoted to the region's tradition of vin doux naturel. The property has built its reputation on very old vintages, patiently held back and released decades after harvest. Vinified in a style reminiscent of Port, these wines showcase a corner of France where sweet fortified winemaking has been practiced since at least the fourteenth century.

This 1953 Rivesaltes is made primarily from Grenache Noir, halted mid-fermentation through the traditional mutage method to preserve natural sweetness. Following Sobilane's signature process, the wine spent roughly three years oxidizing in large glass demijohns left outdoors, exposed to sun, rain, and shifting temperatures, before moving into barrel for a far longer maturation that, in this case, stretched across decades until bottling in 2017.

Now a blackish, greenish tawny in the glass, the wine reveals a mature, backward nose of brown spice, orange peel, and a touch of rancio character. On the palate it is sweet and round, with well-judged acidity, a light viscosity, and a savory tang of lemongrass on the finish. It suits aged Comté, dark chocolate, or a walnut tart.