Ch 6 Rutherglen Flashcards
D5 Ch 6 Rutherglen Muscat
When were vines first planted in Rutherglen?
- In the 1850s
Where is Rutherglen?
Victoria, Australia
Situated inland in the NE of Victoria
When was gold discovered in the Rutherglen region? What happened?
Gold discovered 1858
The population boomed and investment in the region increased
By 1890, Rutherglen produced ~25% of AUS’s wine, much of which was exported to the UK
What happened at the end of the 19th century to Rutherglen?
Along with parts of Victoria, Rutherglen was devastated by phylloxera
By the time Rutherglen recovered by replanting on resistant rootstocks, the new century brought an end to cross-border tariffs and Rutherglen found it difficult to compete w/ more productive regions of S AUS
It is, however, still considered the capital of fortified wines in AUS
Why are “house styles” common for Rutherglen Muscat?
Many of the wineries that produce Rutherglen Muscat are family run and have been making wine for several generations
They’ve developed based on fruit selection, winemaking, maturation and blending choices
What Rutherglen label is known for a lighter, fresher style? For more intense, luscious styles?
Pfeiffer wines = lighter, fresher style
All Saints and Morris are known for intense and luscious styles
How many ha is Rutherglen?
70ha under vine (vs prior book = 411ha)
What is the climate of Rutherglen?
Continental, with warm days moderated by cool air flowing down from the Victorian Alps during the night
Warm days in the growing season and long, dry autumns mean that large amounts of sugar can accumulate
When are grapes for Rutherglen Muscat typically harvested?
What are typical potential alcohol/abv levels?
Harvest varies from mid-March to May, depending on the style of ripeness desired and the weather conditions
Grapes are often left on the vine until they become extra ripe and start to shrivel
It is not unusual for grapes to reach potential alcohol levels of 20% abv
Many producers pick different blocks at different times to gain a combo of sugar and dried fruit characters
Is Botrytis desired for Rutherglen Muscat?
No
The orange marmalade aromas that botrytis can give are not desired in the production of these wines where even despite a long aging process, the grapes aromas of Muscat should still be identifiable
What grape(s) is/are used for Rutherglen Muscat?
Muscat à Petits Grains Rouges - also known as Brown Muscat
This is a red-skinned mutation of Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains
It is similar to the white version - displays pronounced grapes and floral aromas
What vine training and trellising is used in Rutherglen?
A variety of systems are used
Vines tend to be trained double cordon with the canopy sprawling over a single foliage wire or held by more wires into a VSP system
A key concern is providing shading to avoid sunburn
What allows Rutherglen to produce grapes with a high skin to juice ratio?
Rutherglen has many old vines that produce smaller grapes
Why are Rutherglen wines often deep colored and concentrated?
Rutherglen has many older vines that produce smaller grapes with higher skin to juice ratio
This can produce deeper colored, more concentrated wines
The proportion of old vine fruit can be an element of house style
Describe the initial steps of fermenting Rutherglen Muscat
The Muscat grapes are partly shriveled making it hard to extract the dense juice through pressing immediately
Crushed Muscat grapes therefore ferment briefly on their skins to break down the pulp and release sugar and flavors
Enzymes may be added to the juice and various cap mgmt techniques may be used to aid extraction (punch down, pump over, rotary fermenters)
Describe how Rutherglen Muscat is fortified
Once the juice gains 1-2% abv, it is quickly drained off the skins which are pressed and the combined juice is then fortified to reach around 17.5% abv
Fortifying spirits of at least 96% are usually chosen
Most producers aim to retain Muscat character and therefore want a neutral spirit
High abv is used so that they can use less and not dilute the wine
What happens after Rutherglen Muscat is fortified but before maturation
Wines are clarified by racking off lees or by light filtration
Winemakers may now make adjustments to pH and perform light fining for protein stability
The aim is to avoid deposits that might cause off-flavors during maturation
How are Rutherglen Muscats matured?
Typically in very old oak vessels, ranging from 180-500L to 1300-9000L
Often in warm conditions
Traditionally in warehouses w/ tin roofs which become hot in the summer
The positioning of the barrels is important - those nearer the top of stacks are subjected to warmer temps and mature more quickly
Some producers have sections of warehouse that are insulated to retain more even, cooler temps throughout the year which leads to slower maturation and retain freshness
How do smaller maturation vessels compare to larger for Rutherglen Muscat (size, implications)?
Smaller vessels are generally 180-500L versus large that can be from 1300-9000L
Smaller vessels promote greater concentration through evaporation, more oxidation and generally a quicker maturation
Wood is often very old as flavors and tannins of new oak are not wanted in these wines
Describe what happens to Rutherglen Muscat as it matures? What affects the process and how.
Water evaporates gradually from old oak vessels
This causes alcohol, sugar and acidity levels to rise gradually
The speed of the process is impacted by heat, the size of the vessel and also humidity
Warm, dry conditions lead to a quicker rate of evaporation
Some producers will reduce ullage by topping up the barrels frequently, maintaining a fresher, less oxidative style; others will do so less frequently to encourage oxidative flavors to develop
How can a producer of Rutherglen Muscat affect the style of the wine during maturation?
Some producers will reduce ullage by topping up the barrels frequently, maintaining a fresher, less oxidative style;
others will do so less frequently to encourage oxidative flavors to develop
How does the color of Rutherglen Muscat change during maturation? What happens to the structure of the wine?
Wines gradually turn from pale pink, ruby or garnet to deep brown
They increase in sweetness, alcohol and acidity levels to become fuller-bodied and more syrupy
They develop more tertiary flavors
Are most Rutherglen Muscats Vintage or NV?
Most are NV
An important part of production is blending of younger and older wines to gain optimum balance between freshness and complexity and to retain a consistency of style YOY
How are some Rutherglen Muscats like Sherry?
Some producers use a modified solara system — removing some wine from barrel and replacing it with younger wine — although often not in quite the same systematic way used in Sherry systems
