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drink this ‘ on the rocks ’. It is utterly delightful . An absolute steal at around £ 15 a full 75cl bottle .
Chambers Rosewood Grand Rutherglen Muscat – this wine comes from the hot Victoria region in Australia , about three hours northeast of Melbourne . The word ‘ Grand ’, here , apparently denotes a Special bottling . The wine is made from the reddish-skinned white grape muscat rouge à petits grains . The grapes are left on the vine to gain sugar throughout most of the harvest season . The wine is then fortified during fermentation and then aged in barrel . This is a massively concentrated , luscious and rich wine – yet is almost mellow in the mouth . Think raisins , caramel , vanilla , prunes , figs , nuts , toffee , treacle and sweet spice . Wow ! If you can find it , the Grand Muscat can set you back around £ 40 / 50 a 37.5cl bottle . Their classic Rutherglen Muscat ( i . e . the wine without the ‘ Grand ’ bit ), however , can be found at many places online for around the £ 13 / 14 mark a 37.5cl bottle and is well worth a go .
LATE HARVEST / NOBLE ROT WINES
Late harvest wines are made from grapes that are left hanging on the vine after they have reached their peak ripeness . As the grapes dehydrate , they become sweeter as the sugar content becomes more concentrated .
As to ‘ Noble Rot ’ wines , there are many popular types of sweet or dessert wines made from what are known as ‘ Noble Rot ’ grapes . Wines such as Sauternes from Bordeaux , Tokaji Aszu from Hungary and Spatlese level German Riesling are made from ‘ Noble Rot ’ grapes . Healthy ripe grapes are actually attacked by a fungus called Botrytis cinerea – a fungus that eats fruit and vegetables ! This weakens and punctures the grape skins , causing the grape to dehydrate . As it does the grape starts to shrivel and begins to look a bit like a raisin . This leads to concentration of sugar , acidity and flavour . Botrytis nearly always adds its own unique flavour to wine ( think honey , ginger , beeswax and orange ) and gives us a viscous , sweeter and sometimes a more alcoholic wine .
Château Rieussec – for many the wines from Sauternes in Bordeaux are the world ’ s greatest sweet wines and represent what has been described as ‘ the gold standard ’ when it comes to botrytis-affected wines . These wines are predominantly made from the easily-attacked sémillon grape , along with sauvignon blanc and muscadelle . If you can ’ t afford ( and it is extremely expensive ) the world ’ s most iconic and expensive sweet wine , Château d ’ Yquem , then the next best thing from this appellation is arguably Château Rieussec . Currently I have the 2010 which is drinking beautifully - dried fruit , honey , orange marmalade , vanilla , sweet spice , and perhaps a touch of crème brulee . Beautifully balanced , fresh and clean . Classic , wonderful , Sauternes . Selling for around £ 50 - £ 55 a full 75cl bottle , this is great value for one of the best .
Klein Constantia ‘ Vin de Constance ’ – Quote : “ Uniqueness is an overused term , but there is no other wine like Klein Constantia ’ s Vin de Constance ”. For those of you that have never heard of this winery , it has an amazing history and is famed throughout the world for its sweet wines . George Washington ordered it , John Adams and Thomas Jefferson were fans , Jane Austen mentions Constantia , as does Charles Dickens , and it was a favourite tipple of Napoleon . This amazing , complex , wine is produced from muscat de frontignan grapes on the Cape Peninsula in South Africa . My current crop comes from the 2013 vintage . Citrus , apricots , honey / honeysuckle , orange marmalade , toffee , lychee . Gold in a glass . This will likely set you back , depending on vintage , somewhere between £ 50 - £ 60 a 50cl bottle . But worth every penny .
Domaine des Baumard ‘ Quarts de Chaume ’ – the great , sweet , white wine appellation that is Quarts de Chaume can be found on the banks of the River Layon ( a tributary of the River Loire ). Domaine Baumard is the single most famous producer of Quarts de Chaume . The wines from this appellation , and particularly those from the Baumard stable , are highly sought after . Drinkable when young , this wine has incredible aging potential . Made from very ripe , late harvested , mainly botrytized , chenin blanc grapes , this is a magic , wonderfully complex , opulent , velvety , smooth , yet fresh wine . I have visited
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