Buying guide: Muscadel

Muscadel
audited ratings

About the category: Muscat de Frontignan is the name by which Muscat Blanc à Petit Grains, the finest of many Muscat wine varieties, is known in South Africa. It is a white grape variety but a red mutation also occurs. The epithet of Muscadel applies to fortified wines - grape juice that has been fortified with grape spirit.

Hanepoot (or Muscat d'Alexandrie) is another principal Muscat variety and hence included in this tasting. Jerepigo is the general term for ‘wines' that have been made by adding alcohol to juice, regardless of variety, and were not included.

Plantings of Hanepoot and Muscat de Frontignan are small (2 345ha of the former and 1 000ha of the latter out a total area under vineyard of 101 325ha at the end of 2008) and most of what gets made is sold in bulk to producer wholesaler Distell for entry-level products like Ship Sherry and Sedgwick's Old Brown Sherry. However, when made with proper intent, a very fine, complex beverage can result.

Key findings: One of the main conditions necessary for Muscadel to approach greatness is sufficient fruit intensity, and too many wines lacked this. Other concerns were the base alcohol used for fortification not being clean while oaking was often clumsy.

A wine that caused particular debate was the Monis Muscadel 2004. Aged for five years in old French oak barrels, it is tawny in colour and displays plenty of oxidative character on the palate. An excellent fortified beverage in a general sense, it failed to obtain a higher rating because of a division among panel members over whether or not it possessed sufficient Muscat character.

Hanepoot
★ ★ ★ ★ four stars
Du Toitskloof Hanepoot
Jerepigo 2009
CELLAR PRICE R40
Alc 15.6% RS 215.8g/l TA 5.6g/l pH 3.3
Forthcoming nose of grape and ripe apple.
The palate shows concentrated, pure fruit,
viscous texture and fresh acidity. A wine of
great generosity.
CE 16 JP 15.5 MC 17 TB 15.5 CF 15.5

★ ★ ★ three stars
Oranjerivier Soet Hanepoot NV* R29.30
Badsberg Hanepoot Jerepigo 2009 R34
Nuweland R75
Muscat d' Alexandrie 2009 (375ml)

★ ★ ✩ two and a half stars
Villiersdorp Hanepoot Jerepigo NV* R23.50
Slanghoek Sweet Hanepoot 2009 R33

★ ★ two stars
Swartland R33
Opstal 2008 R48

★ one star
Koelenhof 2009* R26

White Muscadel
★ ★ ★ ★ four stars
Merwida 2009
CELL AR PRICE R35
Alc 16.5% RS 256.3g/l TA 5.1g/l pH 3.64
Tropical fruit, potpourri and spice on the
nose. The palate is rich and complex with
juicy, pure fruit, oak spice and bright acidity.
Long finish.
CE 17 JP 16 MC 17 TB 15.5 CF 17

★ ★ ★ ✩ three and a half stars
Oranjerivier 2008* R30.78

★ ★ ★ three stars
Nuy 2005 R28.75

★ ★ ✩ two and a half stars
Montagu Wine & Spirits Company 2009 R35
De Krans Jerepigo 2009 R39
Weltevrede Ouma se Wyn 2007 (375ml) R44

★ ★ two stars
Delheim 2008 (500ml) R 110

★ one star
Ashton Jerepigo 2006 R 40

ALSO TASTED
Nuweland R55
Unfiltered Limited Release
Muscat de Frontignan 2007 (375ml)
Danie de Wet R64
Cape Muscadel 2007 (375ml)

Red Muscadel
★ ★ ★ ★ four stars
Badsberg 2009
CELLAR PRICE R38
Alc 15.28% RS 308.68g/l TA 5.47g/l pH 3.78
The nose shows red fruit and some potpourri.
Rich and concentrated but balanced
on the palate. Viscous texture, fresh acidity.
CE 16 JP 16 MC 16 TB 16 CF 16

★ ★ ★ ✩ three and a half stars
Boplaas 2009 R32
Slanghoek 2009 R37.50
Van Loveren 2008 R38
Rietvallei 2008 R45
Monis Vintage 2004 ARP R60

★ ★ ★ three stars
Nuy 2007 R28.75
Boplaas Reserve 2009 (375ml) R28
Boland 2008 R42.50
Rietvallei ‘1908' 2004 R130

★ ★ ✩ TWO AND A HALF STARS
Oranjerivier 2008* R30.78
Wandsbeck 2008 R31
Rooiberg 2008 R33
Roodezandt 2008* R34.80
Du Toitskloof 2009 R40

★ ★ TWO STARS
Montagu Wine & Spirits Company 2009 R35
Montagu R62
Muscat de Frontignan (Uitvlucht Winery)
De Leuwen Jagt NV R55
(375ml) (Seidelberg) ARP

★ ONE STAR
Wolvendrift 2009 R37.95

ALSO TASTED
Weltevrede Oupa se Wyn 2007 (375ml) R44

PRICES: wines in each quality grouping are
listed in order of ascending price - all excellar
unless otherwise stipulated

ARP Approximate retail price
* Bottled unders screwcap

WINE TASTERS: Christian Eedes (chair) (CE), honorary member of the Institute of Cape Wine Masters Colin Frith (CF), Wine Judging Academy graduates James Pietersen
(JP) and winemaker Trizanne Barnard (TB) and sommelier Miguel Chan of Southern Sun Deluxe Hotels (MC).