Domaine de Sau Rancio Sec
Domaine de Sau Rancio Sec is a dry rancio wine at 18.5% ABV in a 500mL bottle — 100% Grenache gris from 70-year-old bush vines, a non-vintage blend of the 2006 and 2007 harvests aged oxidatively in old 225-liter barrels, from the Têt Valley in Roussillon, France — available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor, San Diego, CA.
- ABV: 18.5% vol — reached naturally, unfortified
- Size: 500mL
- Grapes: 100% Grenache gris, hand-harvested from 70-year-old goblet vines (1.9 ha plot)
- Aging: oxidative élevage in old Bordelais fûts, never topped up, in a former horse barn on the estate (55–80°F, Tramontana wind); NV blend of 2006 + 2007, ~6 years indoor aging
- Sweetness: sec (dry)
- Origin: Château de Saü / Domaine de Saü, estate founded 1846 in the Têt Valley near Thuir — Côtes Catalanes IGP, France; organic viticulture since 2006
The Last Rancio from a 1846 Estate
This bottle is the end of a story: Hervé Passama of Château de Saü made this rancio sec in the last years of his life before his death in 2014, and it is the domaine's final vintage. One week on skins in tank with native yeasts, then into old barrels in a wooden-walled horse barn that swings from 55 to 80°F, never topped up, for years — reaching 18.5% alcohol with no fortification at all. Wine & Spirits gave the 2006/2007 blend 90 points in its February 2020 rancio sec special report. Browse Domaine de Sau, or compare with the Rombeau 2008 rancio for the style's other face.
Tasting Notes
Dried pear, apricot kernel, and walnut over a savory, saline mineral core, with a balsamic lift and a long, dry, oxidative finish. The old-vine Grenache gris gives it weight and texture without any sweetness.
How to Enjoy
Serve lightly chilled or at cellar temperature (59–64°F) in 2–3 oz pours. The importer calls it "exceptional as a dry digestif, with cheese and dried fruit, and with glazed pork" — Wine & Spirits adds chilled as an aperitif, with smoked almonds, a roasted bird, or dessert. Shelf-stable; keeps indefinitely after opening.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is rancio sec?
A dry, fully oxidized wine from Roussillon — fermented dry and aged in untopped barrels exposed to air and heat. Dry rancio is bottled as Côtes Catalanes IGP because Rivesaltes AOP requires fortification.
Is it fortified?
No — it reaches 18.5% ABV naturally with no fortification.
Is this the last vintage of Domaine de Saü?
Effectively yes — it was produced in the last years of Hervé Passama's life, and the domaine's vines were rented out after his death in 2014.
What rating did it receive?
90 points from Wine & Spirits (February 2020), blind-tasted for its rancio sec special report.
Own a piece of Roussillon history: order Domaine de Sau Rancio Sec online from Del Mesa Liquor, San Diego, CA.