Score : 88/100
The Cuvée Thérèse Reig by Domaine de la Rectorie is fortified wine made in the Rimage style, meaning it is elaborated without the oxidative maturation common in the local winemaking process. It is therefore made much like a standard red wine, preserving the primary fruit characters in a similar fashion as a Ruby port except than in Banyuls the fortification happens late during the fermentation.
This is also a Mise Précoce, meaning that it was bottled early to further preserve the freshness of the fruit characters, after only 7 months of maturation in stainless steel tank.
So how does la Rectorie Banyuls Cuvée Thérèse Reig taste like ?
Tasting notes
This Banyuls fortified wine comes in a dark red color, with purple youthful hues accentuating the darkness. Not extremely intense or dense, but it does have a dark color.
The nose has two main aromas to it: prune and bitter cherry liqueur.
It does smell very fruity, filled with super-ripe dark berry tones, strawberry and raspberry jam. But it’s not overly jammy and smells more like fresh fruit than the cooked ones. Some sweet spices help lifting the nose up, some nutmeg and black pepper give it a spicy warming edge.
One the palate, the wine appears very smooth, again nearly-jammy fruity, and not too sweet.
Of course, it does have a fair bit of sweetness, but far from syrupy, with a solid acidity as well, it feels like a wine first, and second like a sweet one.
Smooth tannins populate the palate with a granulous feel and do dry the finish up a little, providing a savorer touch.
Overall
A facetted fortified wine, with a dominant ripe dark red fruit note and approach, but that complements it with depth from subtle sweet spices, acidity and some savory tones.
It’s easy to sip and never feels too sweet.
Enjoy 🙂
My Last Visit to Domaine La Rectorie in Video
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