Rutherglen Muscat is a fortified sweet wine made in the Rutherglen region of New South Wales in Australia. The grape used for this wine is a genetic variant of Muscat Blanc a Petit Grains which has a brown skin. The grape is known as Brown Muscat or Muscat a Petit Grains Rouge. It is recognized as the same grape as the far more common blanc version with the same aromatic character. This wine is made by leaving grapes on the vine past the normal harvest time so the grapes can shrivel and concentrate the sugar, acid and flavor compounds. These wines are fortified with grape spirit to reach an alcohol content of about 17.5%. They are classified based on their level of sweetness and length of aging, with the lowest sugar content being 180-240g/L and aged for 3-5 years. The highest sugar content is up to 400g/L and aged for over 20 years. Most of these wines are made by family wineries that have been producing them for generations. These wines aren’t made in vast quantities and the US does not receive a large allotment. The largest export market is the UK but most Rutherglen Muscat is sold domestically in Australia.
The wine I drank this week was a Non-Vintage (NV) Chambers Rutherglen Muscat. Chambers is a family owned 6th generation winery that was established in 1858. This wine is a medium tawny color with nearly magenta highlights. On the nose, this wine has aromas of raisins, grapes, caramel, orange peel, dates, baking spices and rose petals. This sweet wine has a lower level of acid and a moderate level of alcohol for a fortified wine. Fortified wines have a different scale for evaluating alcohol content when compared to still wines. For traditional still wines, a content of 14% is considered high but the scale for fortified wines doesn’t start until 15%. The dried fruit character and non fruit notes combine for a great wine that remains for the palate long after the wine is gone. This wine is interesting and delicious! It would be a great option to serve as an aperitif, chilled for a sweet treat on a warm summer evening, served with panna cotta, or paired with a fruit tart.
-TheLooseTannin
A Trip Around the World of Wine in 52 Weeks 