literally meaning ‘tiled’, tuilé is the official French term used to describe Vin Doux Naturel wines made with red grapes that have turned brick red or tawny in color due to controlled exposure to oxygen and/or heat over a period of years prior to bottling. The primary, fresh fruit expressions of such wines give way to complex secondary- or tertiary characteristics including dried fruit, roasted nuts and emerging spices notes. The impression of weight and the texture of such wines is likewise transformed, becoming lighter and more delicate.
