Dumangin Ratafia Single Barrel 16 Year
$314.99
If you have never tried Ratafia, you are in for a treat. Dumangin is one of our Champagne exclusives and one of the last few producers to make this specialty. The base is half brandy (distilled from Champagne grapes) and half unfermented grape juice from the region, aged for 16 years in a combination of old oak and other vessels via the Ratafia method. Ratafia is an ancestral method of preserving fruit juice in the same way that salting was used to preserve meat. It involves four stages: first, in oak casks from Crozes-Hermitage (Alain Graillot). Second, aged Soléra style - an ancestral method of maturing and gradually assembling different vintages, generally used for the great Port wines. Third, the cask is closed tightly and left outside, where it is subject to changes in temperature. Fourth, in stainless steel tanks. The result is a sweet wine in a mouthwatering style similar to Pineau de Charentes that can be cellared for an additional 25 years. The bouquet shows cinnamon and spices with ripe tropical fruits and figs, nuts, baking and brown sugar. The palate reflects the nose and is clean without being cloying. There's a nice amount of fruit with great richness and nutty notes. The finish delivers a baked character of dry biscotti and vanilla. It makes a beautiful aperitif or as the final touch to a great meal.
Dumangin Ratafia Craft
$74.99
This bottling of Ratafia Champenois from Gilles Dumangin is made of 2/3 Pinot Meunier and 1/3 Pinot Noir. Multiple vintages with a minimum age of 6 years were chosen to be married together before a further 9 years of maturation took place in casks that previously held wine from Northern Rhone. Bottled at 18% ABV.
Ratafia Champenois is a fortified wine from the Champagne region of France typically made from Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Brandy or a neutral grape spirit is added to the grape juice before fermentation. The Ratafia has a lovely tawny colour and rich, complex dried fruit flavours. Gilles recommends serving it with melon, cheese and chocolate desserts.