1 28 Analysis of Scientific Books. 



yards formed in the southern declivity of the hill to the west of 

 Ampuls, on the right bank of the Rhone, about seven leagues from 

 Lyons. In flavour and perfume they approach to the richness of 

 the Hermitage, but are inferior as to strength and body ; they 

 should not be bottled before the sixth or seventh year. 



Among the white wines of the Rhone those of the Hermitage 

 stand foremost ; they are made of white grapes, and with the 

 exception of the vin de paille, which is made of grapes half dried 

 upon straw, and is very rich and luscious, they are among the 

 dryest of the French wines. Chateau Grillet and Condrieux, in 

 this district, also atlbrd good white wines, both sweet and dry. 



4. Of the Wines of Lang ueduc, Roussillon, and Provence. — With 

 all their advantages of situation the wines of these provinces are 

 generally inferior to those of the more northern departments ; many 

 of the red wines, however, of Languedoc are held in deserved 

 estimation, and those of Roussillon, when duly kept both in cask 

 and bottle, are remarkable for their body and richness. Most of 

 the red Provence wines, on the contrary, are of decidedly inferior 

 quality. In the class of dry white wines those of St. Peray on the 

 Rhone, nearly opposite Valence, and those of bt. Jean, near Tour- 

 non, are of a respectable character. 



But these provinces make ample amends in the exquisite and 

 unrivalled sweet or Muscadine wines, such as those of Frontignan, 

 Lunel, and Beziers, in Languedoc ; and of Rivesaltes and Salces, in 

 Roussillon. We may observe, in regard to these wines, that those 

 which are deep coloured and deficient in flavour and perfume, are 

 generally grown in the country around Beziers; some of these, 

 when old become dry, and are not unlike some of the Spanish 

 white wines. 



" Two leagues east from Perpignan is the celebrated vineySrd of 

 Rivesaltes, which gives the best muscadine wine, not only in Rous- 

 sillon, but in France, or perhaps in the whole world, for it is much 

 more perfect of its kind than many others to which an undue de- 

 gree of excellence is ascribed, merely because they come to us from 

 a great distance, and are remarkable for their rarity and costliness. 

 When sufficiently matured by age it is of a bright golden colour, 

 and has an oily smoothness, a fragrant aroma, and a delicate fla- 

 vour of the quince, by which it is distinguished from all other sweet 

 wines. The quantity produced does not exceed two hundred hogs- 

 heads. At Salces, a few miles further to the north-east, a white 

 wine is grown, which, from the grape that yields it, gets the name 

 of wiacc«6ec', and is thought to resemble Tokay, but in point of 

 richness it is inferior to the Ptivesaltes. Besides the growths above 

 enumerated, the vineyards of Bagnols sur Mer, Collioure, and 

 Cosperon, supply some red sweet wines called grenache, from a 

 Spanish grape that is much cultivated in these districts. At first 



