45. Fortified Muscats

Question 1

2 broad styles?

Answer 1

• youthful and unaged

- fully developed after extended ageing

Question 2

youthful, unaged muscats?

Answer 2

• medium gold, floral and aromatic
• varietal character as pure as possible
• sweet, rarely luscious
• Muscat de Beaumes-de-Venise from Southern Rhône
• crushed, ripe berries, fermentation often with skin contact
• fermentation stopped by adding 96% spirit to give a sweet wine^

Question 3

fully developed aged muscats - where? character? how?

Answer 3

• amber to brown
• sweet or luscious
• Rutherglen, Australia
• harvest ripe fruit, but some raisining common (may lose Muscat character)
• fermentation on skin, fortification already at 2%
• period of oxidative ageing (old oak vessels) for decades
• pronounced oxidative aromas, either retain some Muscat flavours or blending with younger wines