Organic Muscat Wine - Liqueur
Our classic 15+ year old Muscat wine, a liqueur wine won a silver medal at the Swan Valley Wine Show and was voted in the top 25 wines of Western Australia in 2019 by the Good Food and Wine Show.
What is Muscat wine?
Do some people ask what is muscat wine? A wine from the muscat grapes is the blunt answer. There is liqueur Muscat port wine, which means that the Muscat wine is sweet as a Muscat fortified wine. There are many different Muscat grape varieties. In Australia, some are for eating, called table grapes and the other muscat grape varieties with small berries are used for making muscat wine, whether it be a fortified sweet wine or a table wine.
If the muscat grapes are left to ripen and wither to raisins, muscat liqueur can be produced easily. The very ripe grapes are used at Harris' Swan Valley winery to make a rich muscat liqueur with the addition of a neutral brandy spirit. A liqueur is a very sweet wine, and after many years in the cask becomes thick and treacly.
However, if the Australian Muscat grapes are picked, in mid-season, the wine can be made into a dry style of Muscat wine. This table wine is an excellent accompaniment to all kinds of foods, whether it be cheeses, meats or desserts.
What is Muscat Liqueur?
A Muscat Liqueur (we call it Brown Muscat) is a fortified wine made in Australia from the Muscat à Petits Grains Blanc and Rouge (known locally as Fronti, or Constancia). The muscat wine is sweet, dark, high alcoholic Australian wine that has some similarities to European sweet fortified ports and sherries. The grape is grown and the muscat liqueur is produced in the Swan Valley of Western Australia.
Liqueur Muscat winemaking
Late picked organic muscat a petit grains rouge from our Perth organic vineyard was crushed and fermented with our natural yeast to a sweet sugar level of 15 degrees Baume'. Then, after basket pressing and transferring to an open fermenter, the ferment continued at 25C. Once the sugar level was to that desired by the winemaker, the wine was fortified with a neutral brandy spirit to retain the fresh muscat fruit flavours and then stored in oak barriques and cellared underground for long-term maturation.
After many seasons the port wine was bottled. This fortified organic muscat wine has alcohol added, however, it is clarified and filtered, but vegan friendly. A beautiful "classic" liqueur muscat dessert sweet wine. This wine is a blend of our vintages starting with the first 2004 vintage with an average age of over 15 years.
What is the difference between Muscat and Port?
Muscat and Port are distinct types of fortified wines. Muscat, produced from the Muscat grape variety, offers aromatic and fruity flavours, ranging from dry to sweet. It is made in various regions globally and is known for its floral and peachy notes. In contrast, Port is exclusively made in Portugal's Douro Valley.
It is a fortified wine made from a blend of indigenous grape varieties and exhibits rich flavours of dark berries, spices, and sometimes nuts.
Port can be dry or very sweet, with different aging styles such as Ruby, Tawny, and Vintage Port. While Muscat is consumed young, Port often benefits from aging, and its styles range from youthful to matured and complex. Muscat pairs well with desserts, while Port is commonly served as a dessert wine or enjoyed on its own.
Muscat Wine Liqueur Review
Harris Organic Muscat wine liqueur received rave reviews regarding its first release of fortified muscat liqueur wine, 15 years in the making.
The judges said when voted into the top 25 wines of WA in 2019. "Potent, decadent, rich, unctuous muscat of intensity, concentration and depth. All liquified dried fruits, nuts, caramel, and toast. Feels like some judiciously old material in the mix with good clean spirit backing up all that intensity."
Huge authority here – big presence in glass and palate. Done well. A landmark WA example.
How long can you keep Liqueur Muscat?
How long can you keep Liqueur Muscat is a common question as we are used to opening a bottle of wine and consuming it immediately. However, muscat liqueur is a fortified wine. A bottle of fortified muscat wine is one that has the alcohol content strengthened with the addition of a neutral brandy spirit. This means that the wine is stable and can be kept for many years in a partially filled bottle or oak cask without going off.
Buy muscat wine online
You can buy muscat wine online, right here. This rich and luscious organic Muscat wine is available in 750mL bottles. The current release is a blend of 2004 and 2005 vintages.
Is Muscat a fortified wine?
Muscat is a type of wine grape that is used to make a variety of wines, including fortified wines. However, not all Muscat wines are fortified. Fortified wines are wines that have had a distilled spirit, usually, brandy, added to them to increase their alcohol content and stabilize the wine.
Some Muscat wines are indeed fortified, such as Muscat de Beaumes-de-Venise from the Rhône Valley in France or Muscat de Baskerville from the Swan Valley region. These wines are typically sweet and have a higher alcohol content than non-fortified Muscat wines.
However, other Muscat wines can be made without fortification and are typically lighter in body and alcohol content. Examples include Moscato d'Asti from Italy or Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains from Harris Organic Wines.
So, to summarize, while Muscat grapes are used to make fortified wines, not all Muscat wines are fortified. This one is.
