Buying Guide: Dessert wines (fortified)

It is an irony that the fortified dessert wines made from Muscadel are not fashionable despite the high level of quality that this category often offers.

A white Muscadel 1996 from Worcester winery Nuy famously earned a hard-tocome- by 5 Star rating from the WINE magazine panel in 1998, and now the Muscat de Frontignan 2006 from Alvi’s Drift, also in Worcester, repeats the feat. In this year’s blind tasting of 12 whites and 17 reds, there were a further five wines to rate 4 Stars.

Muscadel is the name used in South Africa for both Muscat Blanc à Petit Grains and Muscat de Frontignan. While Muscat can make fine Natural Sweet wines (think Vin de Constance from Klein Constantia) or Noble Late Harvest (think Eminence from Nederburg), the epithet of Muscadel typically applies to fortified wines – grape juice that has been fortified with grape spirit.

The resulting wines tend to be very sweet and can display considerable unfermented grape flavours, although this is not to say that they aren’t capable of complexity. The Alvi’s Drift 2006 is a case in point, being commended by panel member Christine Rudman CWM as a wine “of enormous presence without being showy”.

Though the overall quality of the category tends to be good, it’s no surprise that it doesn’t have a wider following: for all the flavour that the wines offer, there’s the double whammy of high sugar and high alcohol. The appropriate drinking occasion becomes problematic.

How to make Muscadel more appealing? There’s lots about the Alvi’s Drift that’s enlightening in this regard. Some time back, the required minimum alcohol by volume level for was lowered from 16.5% to 15%, and it is interesting to note that the label on this 5 Star laureate claims to be at the bare minimum.

More about the wine is that it was made from mainly raisins and very ripe fruit, which were crushed at 32º Balling. It was partly fermented on its skins to 28º Balling and then fortified. Partial fermentation is a legitimate variation when it comes to the winemaking process, improving mouthfeel and helping to avoid an excessive spirit character.

The resulting residual sugar is 177g/ℓ, which makes it relatively dry in its class, given that some versions can be well over 200g/ℓ. The wine gained further complexity from spending 14 months in small French oak barrels, again quite acceptable but not necessarily the norm.

Alvi’s Drift is also packaged in a 375ml bottle, making it a more manageable proposition than those that come in the standard 750ml bottle. “Sweets for my sweet, sugar for my honey,” as 1960s British pop band The Searchers used to sing.
WHITE MUSCADEL


Alvi’s Drift Muscat de Frontignan 2006 (375ml)
CELLAR PRICE: R60
Citrus and some terpene character on the
nose. Rich and full bodied but balanced by
bright acidity. Viscous texture and great
length. Drink now or over the next 8 years.
CE 18 CR 18 DB 18 GdF 18 TL 17

Caroline’s Late Bottled 1992 (KWV)
RETAIL PRICE: R79
Nose reminiscent of sherry with some nutty
character. The palate is medium bodied with
fresh acidity. Flavours of citrus and honey.
Drink now.
CE 18 CR 16 DB 15 GdF 16 TL 15


Nuy 2006 R25
Montagu 2007 (Uitvlucht) R30
Bon Courage White Muscadel 2006 R31
Weltevrede Ouma se Wyn 2006 (375ml) R36
Boplaas Reserve 2005 R40
Jonkheer Muscatheer R43
Muscat de Frontignan 2000 (500ml)
Montagu Muscat de Frontignan 2004* R55

Bakenskop 2007* (Jonkheer) R24
Boland 2007 R36.50

Avondale Reserve R48
Muscat Blanc 2006 (375ml)
RED MUSCADEL


Du Toitskloof 2007
CELLAR PRICE: R24.50
Nose shows red cherries and tea leaves. The
palate shows concentrated raisin flavour but
balanced by zesty acidity. Finishes dry. Drink
now or over the next 2 years.
CE 16 CR 16 DB 16.5 GdF 15 TL 16

Badsberg 2006
CELLAR PRICE: R31
Complex nose showing raisins as well as
floral and spicy notes. Rich and intense on
the palate, with smooth texture. Drink now.
CE 18 CR 16 DB 16 GdF 15 TL 16

Van Loveren 2007
CELLAR PRICE: R32
Red berries and citrus on the nose. Juicy and
full on the palate, with fresh acidity. A hint
of spice. Drink now or over the next 2 years.
CE 16 CR 15 DB 17 GdF 15 TL 16

Monis 2000 (500ml)
APPROXIMATE RETAIL PRICE: R65
Raisins, molasses and some nutty character
on the nose. Very sweet on entry but finishes
dry. Tawny Port-styled. Drink now.
CE 15 CR 17 DB 17 GdF 16 TL 15

Montagu Muskadel 2005* R9.50
(Uitvlucht) (250ml)
Rietvallei 1908 2004 (375ml) R125


Rooiberg 2007 R23
Slanghoek 2007 R25


Montagu 2005 (Uitvlucht) (750ml) R35
KWV* NV R40


Nuy 2007 R25
Montagu 2007 (Uitvlucht) R30
Rijckshof (Kango) NV R34


Weltevrede Oupa se Wyn 2006 (375ml) R36
Avondale Reserve R41
Muscat Rouge 2004 (375ml)

Also tasted
Montagu 2006 (Uitvlucht) (375 ml) R19
Boland 2007 R36.50

PRICES: wines in each quality grouping
are listed in order of ascending price –
all ex-cellar unless otherwise stipulated.

NV Non vintage
* Bottled under screwcap

Wine tasters: WINE magazine
editor Christian Eedes (chairman) (CE),
Cape Wine Masters Christine Rudman
(CR), Duimpie Bayly (DB) and Ginette
de Fleuriot of winesense (GdF) with
Diemersdal winemaker Thys Louw (TL)