FORTIFIED MUSCATS Flashcards
Characteristics of Muscat grape?
-Low to med acid
-Perfumed aromas of orange blossom, rose, grape
-Can thrive in warm and hot climates, but best vineyards benefit from cooling influences which help to preserve the grapes acid levels and aromas
2 broad styles?
Youthful and unaged
Or fully developed after an extended period of ageing
Characteristics of youthful unaged muscats?
Main aim of grape growing and winemaking?
-Medium gold in color, floral, aromatic
-Typically sweet, but not luscious
-Want to keep the varietal character as pure as possible
Notable example for youthful unaged Muscat?
Where does it come from?
Muscat de Beaumes de Venise that comes from Southern Rhone
When are grapes picked for youthful unaged Muscats?
What happens after grapes are crushed?
How is fermentation stopped?
-When they are ripe and healthy
-Raisining or drying is not typically practiced
-Once crushed the juice may be separated from the skins, but some skin contact is widely used to help to increase aromatic intensity and add some richness to the palate
-Cool fermentation, stopped by fortification with 96% abv grape spirit to give a sweet wine
How do they preserve the primary fruit aromas in youthful unaged Muscats?
Wines are stored in inert vessels prior to bottling and protected from any contact with oxygen
Fully developed aged muscat characteristics?
Amber to brown
Sweet or Luscious
Where is one of the most celebrated examples of a fully developed aged muscat?
Rutherglen Australia
How are the styles of FDAM determined?
Timing of the harvest
When the wines are fortified
Length and type of ageing that they undergo
When are grapes picked for FDAM?
When they are ripe and healthy
If they want a more luscious style, may allow for some raisining to happen prior to picking
**Raisining adds extra complexity to the aromas, but excessive raisining will mean that the grape loses too much of their varietal aromas and the resulting wines can lack an expressive muscat character
How is fermentation done for FDAM?
Almost always on the skins
When does draining, pressing, fortification occur for FDAM?
What happens after this?
What do they age in?
When the juice reaches 1-2% abv, producing a wine high in RS
Wines will undergo a period of oxidative ageing that can last for decades
Old wood is essential, large oak vessels are widely used
On occasion aged in warm conditions
How do you give the oldest FDAM wines an aromatic lift?
Blending in a small amount of more youthful wine prior to bottling
