Wine By Nine

Dessert, Fortified & Fruit Wine by Chambers Rosewood from Victoria, Australia. My notes essentially read the same every year, even though the bottlings are non-vintage and I taste the most recent releases. Consistency and greatness are the norm at this Rutherglen winery. The average age is 7-10 years for the regular cuvees, about 70 years for the grand cuvees, and the ancient rare cuvees date back to soleras from 1890. It is redundant to keep repeating the same tasting notes, so readers will have to take my word for it ... this is one of the world's most remarkable dessert wines, and is worth every effort to latch on to a half bottle or so. - Wine Advocate

Dessert, Fortified & Fruit Wine by Chambers Rosewood from Victoria, Australia. In the warm fall climate the grapes ripen and shrivel on the vines producing natural sugar levels in the range of 16.7 - 20 degrees Baume. The raisined grapes are then picked, crushed and partially fermented before being fortified and then subjected to a wood aging program loosely resembling a solera system that lasts (in some cases) for over 100 years. A blend of six to ten-year-old Muscadelle. This is a rich, viscous wine displaying characters of honeyed spice, marmalade and tealeaf. Although luscious, the palate is not cloying. It finishes with a tight acidity and lingering nuttiness. While these wines are seen as after dinner drinks, try serving them as an aperitif. And a bottle, once opened, will keep for some months without deteriorating, providing it is recorked after each serving.

Dessert, Fortified & Fruit Wine by Chambers Rosewood from Victoria, Australia. Sourced from material aged between six and ten years old, this wine is the foundation of the style; displaying the fresh raisin aromas, rich fruit, clean spirit and great length of flavor on the palate which are the mark of all the Muscats of Rutherglen. While these wines are seen as after dinner drinks, try serving them as an aperitif, particularly in winter. A small glass goes a very long way, warming the mind as well as the stomach. And remember that a bottle, once opened, will keep for some months without deteriorating, providing it is recorked after each serving.

Dessert, Fortified & Fruit Wine by Campbells from Victoria, Australia. Deep brilliant, burnished gold with a nose displaying toffee, honey and cold tea characters. The toffee and tea leaf characters predominate in the front palate with a bracing hint of spirit and mellowed oak on the finish.

Dessert, Fortified & Fruit Wine by Campbells from Victoria, Australia. Bright amber gold with copper hints. The nose reveals fresh raisin fruit backed by a hint of fortifying spirit and aged oak characters while the palate is luscious and mouthfilling with raisin fruit followed by a long finish.

Dessert, Fortified & Fruit Wine by RL Buller from Victoria, Australia. The medium dark amber-colored Premium Fine Muscat (100% Muscat) reveals terrific aromas of toffee, melted caramel, molasses, brown sugar, hazelnuts, and smoke. - Wine Advocate Since the first grapes were harvested at Rutherglen in the 1850's, connoisseurs of fine fortified wines in Australia and the United Kingdom have recognized the Muscats of the region as wines of unsurpassed richness. Today, wine merchants, writers and consumers around the globe acclaim the fortified Muscats of Rutherglen as truly the world's richest wines. Extracting the syrupy juice from the fully ripened Brown Muscat grapes is a painstaking and extremely sticky task - taking patience to press all the rich liquid from the raisined berries. The real art of the Rutherglen Muscat makers is their extraordinary ability to assemble parcels of Muscat from a range of wines of varying vintage, richness and complexity, to consistently blend each of their products year after year. Rutherglen Muscat is a wonderful and versatile accompaniment to food, and the many styles of Muscat produced in the region allow innovative combinations of wine and food. The lighter Rutherglen Muscats are superb aperitifs - a perfect way to prepare for a hearty meal. In the warmer months they can be chilled without loss of flavor. ? ?