Wine of the week: a perfect present for a special occasion

1959 Chteau Prieur du Monastir del Camp, Rivesaltes, France£45 per bottle excl. VAT, Farr Vintners , 020-7821 2000, FarrVintners.com

You can thank Stephen Browett at Farr Vintners for championing this mesmerising style of wine and you only have to look at his website to appreciate just how many vintages he stocks. But one man, who should presumably win a Nobel prize or the vinous equivalent, is responsible for curating the last remaining barrels of these wines for those in the know to worship, and his name is Philippe Gayral.

MoneyWeek

Subscribe to MoneyWeek today and get your first six magazine issues absolutely FREE

Get 6 issues free

https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/mw70aro6gl1676370748.jpg

Sign up to Money Morning

Don't miss the latest investment and personal finances news, market analysis, plus money-saving tips with our free twice-daily newsletter

Made in a similar way to port, but using less spirit and more sweetness, VDNs employ grenache blanc and noir grapes, among others, to create a heady, long-lived potion. During their production they are oxidised and matured in large barrels until, eventually, someone bottles this nectar. I tasted a huge range of these wines with Philippe and Stephen recently and they were all fascinating. If you know someone who is 60 next birthday, then hurry to buy this wine it is insanely cheap and fabulously dark, rich and spicy.

Matthew Jukes is a winner of the International Wine & Spirit Competition's Communicator of the Year (MatthewJukes.com).

Matthew Jukes has been the MoneyWeek wine correspondent since 2006.

He has worked in the UK wine business for well over three decades and during this time has written 14 wine books. His four highly-acclaimed, annual wine reports – the Burgundy En Primeur Report, the Bordeaux En Primeur Report, the Piemonte Report and the 100 Best Australian Wines – are published on his website.

Matthew is a winner of the International Wine and Spirit Competition's Communicator of the Year Trophy. His thoughts, recommendations and tastings notes are followed very closely by the wine world at large.