L3- Fortified Muscat - Chapter 45

Question 1

What are the characteristics of muscat?

Answer 1

Muscat
-low to medium acid
-aromas of orange blossom, rose and grape
-can thrive in warm climates but benefits from cooling influences to preserve acidity
-made in youthful, unaged styles and fully developed, extended aging styles

Question 2

What is the youthful style of Muscat?

Answer 2

Youthful style of Muscat
-Medium gold in color, floral, aromatic
-pure
sweet but rarely luscious
-Muscat de Beaumes de Venise is most famous -Southern Rhone

-Grapes picked when ripe and healthy

-once crushed juice is seprated from teh skins, but some skin contact widely used to help increase aromatic intensitiy nad add richness to the palate

Fermentation is cool and stopped by fortiication with 96% abv grape spirit

Wine stored in inert vessels prior to bottling and protected from oxygen

Question 3

What is fully developed, aged muscat?

Answer 3

-Wines range in color from amber to brown, sweet or luscious

-Most celerntated from Rutherglen, Australia

-Grapes are picked ripe and healthy for sweet aged wine.

-more luscious styles will use raisined graped

Raisining adds complexity to aromas, but too much will mean grape loses its varietal aromas and results in lack of expressive Muscat

Fermentation takes place on teh skns
-draining pressing and foritication occur when juice reaces 1-2% alc, producing high residula sugar

WInes undergo period fo oxidative aging that last for decades

Old wood is essential–large oak casks widely used

develop amber to brown colors and oxidative aromas

some old wines given an aromatic lift by blending small amounts of more youthful wine prior to bottling