Often described as 'Liquid Sunshine', the grapes are usually left on the vine to ripen for an extended period
HISTORY
Early Australian winemakers adopted fortification as a preservative method, to overcome the tyranny of distance from their UK market plus the challenge of transporting wine safely through equatorial heat. It proved to suit both the local climate & the grape varieties introduced by early pioneers, Shiraz, Grenache & MourvèdreProminent in "GSM" blends when combined with Grenache & Shiraz - difficult grape to grow, preferring "its face in the hot sun & its feet in the water" in particular
NAME CHANGES
Australian wine names, which are used generically but conflict with European geography, are slowly being replaced. Port is now simply called Tawny, Vintage or Ruby. Sherry has been renamed Apera, an allusion to aperitif. Tokay, a name in conflict with the sweet wine from Hungary, is now Topaque. Only Muscat, named after the grape it is made from, remains unchanged
SYNONYMS
In Australia fortified wine is also known as Dessert Wine, Aperitif Wine & Liqueur Wine. EU legislation requires any imported fortified wine to be labelled as liqueur wine - in France it is called 'Vins de Liqueur'. US regulations, though, prevent any wine being labelled as liqueur - there, dessert wine is the common term, used also to avoid the association with 'hard drinking'
- Liqueur Muscat -
Brown Muscat grapes are left to shrivel
on the vine before picking - noble rot isn't encouraged, nor are the grapes dried post-harvest. The wine is matured in old oak barrels in solera stacks, often under a hot tin roof. Over time, evaporation concentrates the wine to a syrupy-rich consistency
, with rich fruit cake characters
Angel's Share: Maturing casks lose 5% of their volume each year to the sun. Over the warmer months the air in the cellars is rich with the aroma of Muscat beginning its journey skyward. Look up & you will see dark deposits on the roof - evidence of the gradual migration from the casks over the years
- Topaque (Tokay) -
Made using the same techniques as Liqueur Muscat - MuscadelleOne of the three white Bordeaux grapes used to make Sauterne, along with Semillon & Sauvignon Blanc grapes are raisined on the vine to concentrate sweetness; prolonged aging in hot cellars creates maderised Heating & oxidization of wine stored in barrels, mainly used in Madeira production - the wine darkens in colour, acquiring sherry-like qualities qualities; the wine is blended through a solera system
, combining various vintages across many decades
Colour: from golden amber to mahogany, almost black, with olive-green around the rim
Bouquet: spiced raisins, malt & butterscotch, with the unmistakable scent of tea leaves
Palate: sweetness is balanced by acidity, with a luscious finish of extraordinary length
- Tawny (Port) -
Tawny is made primarily from Shiraz, Mourvèdre, Grenache & Cabernet Sauvignon grapes, typically harvested at 14º BauméSimilar to Brix, Baumé is the sugar measurement traditionally used in Australia (Muscat & Muscadelle can develop up to 20º Baumé) & aged in small oak barrels, to develop typical rancioNutty, earthy flavours, peculiar to some fortified wines aged for a long period in wood characters, unlike Vintage which is bottle-aged
Jancis Robinson MW: I have tasted nothing from Portugal remotely like 100-year-old Para Tawny, the jewel in Seppeltsfield's crown since 1978, making Seppeltsfield the only winery in the world to release a 100-year-old wine every year
- Apera (Sherry) -
Once the mainstay of wine regions such as the Barossa Valley, Clare Valley & Riverina, but since the late 1960's demand has steadily declined with only a small number of traditional producers now remaining - complex production techniques & high set-up costs have discouraged new growers
- Rutherglen Wine Region -
Fortified wine is made in a number of regions, such as the Barossa Valley & McLaren Vale, but Rutherglen
is recognised as producing some of Australia's best - internationally acclaimed Muscats & Topaques in particular
Rutherglen has a distinctly continental climate, but the critical factor is sunshine hours, annually higher than in any other Australian wine growing region. Usually in autumn there is little rainfall, days are warm & sunny while nights are cool & clear. Ideal for long, slow ripening - the fruit remains in good condition, whilst retaining a favourable sugar/acid balance
