Decanter's long-standing consultant editor picks fine wines for drinking now, and recommends others to lay down...
From the cellar
Scroll down to see the Spurrier selection Rivesaltes Vdn from L’Archivist
The Rivesaltes Vin Doux Naturel wines were immensely popular until the 1950s, but they dropped out of fashion completely, leaving some historic producers with fine wines still in barrel but with no takers.
Since 1999, Philippe Gayral, L’Archiviste, has been scouring cellars across the Midi, creating an unrivalled, carbon-dated collection of vintage wines.
{"content":"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"}
The Spurrier selection:
{}
{"wineId":"14498","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"14499","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"14497","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{}
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