45 - Fortified Muscats

Question 1

characteristics of Muscat

Answer 1

• low-medium acidity
• display perfumed aromas of orange blossom, rose & grape

Question 2

climate for Muscat

Answer 2

• can thrive in warm & hot climates
• the best vy typically benefit from some cooling influences, which help to preserve the grapes’ acidity levels & aromas

Question 3

2 broad styles of fortified Muscats

Answer 3

1. youthful & unaged
2. fully developed after an extended period of ageing

Question 4

characteristics of youthful, unaged Fortified Muscats

Answer 4

• medium gold in colour
• floral & aromatic
• the aim of the grape growing & wm is to make sure that the varietal character is as pure as possible
• typically sweet but rarely luscious

Question 5

regions for youthful, unaged Fortified Muscats

Answer 5

• made in a number of wine regions throughout the world
• Muscat de Beaumes-de-Venise (Southern Rhône)

Question 6

production method of youthful, unaged Fortified Muscats

Answer 6

• the grapes will be picked when they are ripe & healthy
• raisining or drying the grapes after picking in order to concentrate grape sugars is not typically practised for this style
  (these techniques add extra dried fruit characteristics that mask the pure varietal characteristics)
• once crushed, the juice may be separated from the skins but some skin contact is widely used to help increase aromatic intensity & add some richness to the palate
  –> this can be further enhanced if the skin contact continues during part or all of the fermentation
• fermentation is cool & it is stopped by fortification with 96% abv grape spirit to give a sweet wine
• in order to preserve the primary fruit aromas, the wines are stored in inert vessels prior to bottling & protected from any contact with oxygen

Question 6

characteristics of fully developed, aged Fortified Muscats

Answer 6

• range in colour from amber to brown
• can be sweet or luscious

Question 7

regions for fully developed, aged fortified Muscats

Answer 7

• also made in many countries
• some of the most celebrated examples made in the luscious style come from Rutherglen in Australia

Question 8

Fully developed, aged fortified Muscats
The style of these wines will be determined by … (3)

Answer 8

• the timing of the harvest
• when the wines are fortified
• the length & type of ageing that they undergo

Question 9

production method of fully developed, aged fortified Muscats

Answer 9

• in order to make a sweet aged wine the grapes will be picked when they are ripe & healthy
• in order to make the more luscious style, the producer may want to allow some raisining to happen prior to picking, but care has to be taken
  –> raisining does add extra complexity to the aromas, but excessive raisining will mean that the grapes lose too much of their varietal aromas & the resulting wines can lack an expressive Muscat character
• fermentation will nearly always take place on the skins
• if a luscious style of wine is being made, the fortification may take place when the fermentation has only reached 2% abv
• these wines will then undergo a period of oxidative ageing that can last for decades
• old wood is essential (new oak aromas would clash with the grape aromas)
• large oak vessels are widely used
• these wines are, on occasion, aged in warm conditions
• as they age, these wines become amber & finally brown, & develop pronounced oxidative aromas
• even when they are very old these wines can still retain their Muscat aromas
• however, it is common for the oldest wines to be given an aromatic lift by blending in a small amount of more youthful wine prior to bottling