Rutherglen in North East Victoria probably has Australia’s best known cluster of fortified wine producers. It fielded some of the region’s finest at the inaugural Big Fortified Tasting on 19 April – wineries whose histories date back to the nineteenth century.
The region’s long, dry growing season makes for shrivelled, sugar-concentrated grapes perfect for the region’s Tawny wines (made from varieties like Shiraz, Mataro and Grenache), Tokay, recently re-named Topaque (made from Muscadelle) and, most famously, Muscats (made from the Muscat á petit grains Rouge, locally called Brown Muscat).
In 1995, All Saints Estate, Buller, Campbells, Chambers, Morris, Pfeiffer, Seppelts and Stanton & Killeen founded the Muscat of Rutherglen Network (see here for more details ) to raise the profile of their category and, together, they developed the (voluntary) classification system below. It demarcates wines by richness, complexity and intensity of flavour having regard to factors like age, sweetness and fruit concentration.
- Rutherglen Muscat – is the foundation of the style; displaying the fresh raisin aromas, rich fruit, clean spirit and great length of flavour on the palate which are the mark of all the Muscats of Rutherglen. Average age 2-5 years. Residual sweetness 180-240 grams per litre.
- Classic Rutherglen Muscat – displays a greater level of richness and complexity, produced through the blending of selected parcels of wine, often matured in various sizes of oak cask to impart the distinctive dry ‘rancio’ characters produced from maturation in seasoned wood. Average age 5-10 years. Residual sweetness 200-280 grams per litre.
- Grand Rutherglen Muscat – takes the flavour of Rutherglen Muscat to a still higher plane of development, displaying a new level of intensity, depth and concentration of flavour, mature rancio characters, and a complexity which imparts layers of texture and flavour. Average age 10-15 years. Residual sweetness 270-400 grams per litre.
- Rare Rutherglen Muscat – is rare by name and by nature. These are the pinnacle Rutherglen Muscats – fully developed and displaying the extraordinary qualities that result from the blending of selected parcels of only the very richest, and most complete wines in the cellar. Rare Rutherglen Muscats are only bottled in tiny quantities each year, but for those privileged to taste them, these are wines of breathtaking complexity, texture and depth of flavour. Minimum age 20+ years. Residual sweetness 270-400 grams per litre.”
As the residual sugar parameters make abundantly clear, a sweet tooth is a given for Rutherglen’s Muscat makers, but being long in the tooth helps too. For top wines, it’s very likely that they include significantly older base material than the classification’s average/minimum age requirements. Take Campbells Rare Rutherglen Muscat Merchant Prince – the oldest base wine is well over 60 years old.
Stanton & Killeen’s Chief Winemaker Brendan Heath (who used to work for Campbells), gave me a useful insight into other factors (apart from wine age) which affect house style. For example, a higher proportion of low yielding dryland and/or old vine fruit whose smaller berries have a higher skin to juice ratio will produce a darker, more viscous dried fruit/spicy style (as with Stanton & Killeen). Freshness and balance are influenced by ullage policy, barrel size and location. Wines concentrate more quickly by evaporation the closer they are to the roof and the smaller the barrel (on average, maturing casks of Muscat lose 5% of their volume each year). At Stanton & Killeen, there is a no ullage policy to maximise freshness and barrels ranging in size from barriques to 5000l casks are stacked five high. Apparently summer temperatures of 40 degrees centigrade plus are common, though nights are significantly cooler and winters are very cold.
Campbell’s of Rutherglen
Brothers Malcolm and Colin Campbell are fourth generation wine growers and makers respectively at Campbells. The family traces its vinous history back to 1870 when John Campbell made his first wine from the Bobbie Burns vineyard.
Campbells Rutherglen Muscat – bottled under screwcap, this has a lovely floral nose and palate. Though toothsomely sweet, with buttered popcorn and caramel to its raisin fruit, younger vine fruit/younger wines keep it balanced and fresh. Served lightly chilled. Very good.
Campbells Classic Rutherglen Muscat – greater maturation shows in a spicier, more complex profile with lots of liquorice and carraway seed to its raisin and dried fruits and a note of café crème on the finish. Very good +.
Campbells Grand Rutherglen Muscat – there’s a sleight of hand here. On the one hand it’s lusciously fruity and boozy – think Medjool dates and rum and raisin. On the other, there’s a balancing freshness and mellow, woody timbre. Very good.
Campbells Rare Rutherglen Muscat, Merchant Prince – pictured, this recently scored 100 points in The Wine Spectator – apparently the first Aussie wine ever to accomplish this feat. Underscored by wood and walnut, this dark, spicy molasses is super intense. Like a seriously aged Madeira, this is a sipping wine, a vinous reduction of the stand a spoon in it variety and frankly, it renders a spoon otherwise redundant – it’s a meal in itself! Excellent.
Stanton & Killeen, Rutherglen, Victoria
Stanton & Killeen was founded in 1864. Their rich style is partly due to the original vineyards which, still in production, were planted by Jack Stanton in 1921. Brendan Heath was appointed head winemaker in 2007, taking over from the late Chris Killeen with whom he had worked closely since joining the previous year.
Stanton & Killeen Rutherglen Muscat – more luscious in style than the Campbells with a greater intensity of dark, spicy fruit. Very good.
Stanton & Killeen Classic Rutherglen Muscat – a “Muscatty” floral dimension deftly complexes and balances this intense, quite tightly focused wine. Very good +
Stanton & Killeen Grand Rutherglen Muscat – again that floral lift on the nose, but this has greater viscosity on the palate and a veritable explosion of spice box flavours which animate a long, lingering finish. Terrific balance and intensity make for a very complete wine. Excellent.
Stanton & Killeen Rare Rutherglen Muscat – a little fiery after the beautifully balanced Grand, but there’s a good heft of dark toffee-edged spicy raisin fruit with an intensely nutty, woody rancio finish. Very good.
Morris Wines of Rutherglen
Founded in 1859 by the Morris family, though David Morris is the 5th generation of the Morris family to make wine here, Morris Wines has been owned by Orlando Wines since 1970.
Morris Classic Liqueur Muscat – very floral (rose petals) with sublime delicacy – excellent.
Morris Old Premium Rare Liqueur Muscat – intense and dark on the nose but it retains a lovely floral edge to its dark toffee, caramel and raisin palate. Smooth as, this has excellent integration of spirit and finishes long and lingering. Very fine.
Morris Classic Liqueur Tokay – a heady, floral nose and palate with butterscotch, peaches and dried herbs. Good.
Morris Old Premium Rare Liqueur Tokay – floral and super spicy this really flies; very fine, long and intense. Excellent.
Morris Classic Tawny (Shiraz, Grenache, Mataro) – a beautifully modulated palate, with sweet date and dried fig balanced by subtle, savoury spice and walnut. Very good.
Morris Old Premium Rare Tawny – a seriously complex wine layered with intensely spicy nutty/rancio flavours which almost segue into dryness. Long and lingering. Excellent.
Sarah Ahmed
The Wine Detective
(Wines tasted 19 April, 2010)
