Old but not cold
Those adventurous enough to explore local Muscadel soon realise that this is a category of high general quality and yet it has been observed that there is no future for it as long as the best examples are offered at prices that will not encourage their continued production. Plantings of Muscat de Frontignan in South Africa are in fact static (689ha in 2010 compared with 773ha in 2000, according to SA Wine Industry Information & Systems) but 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.
If Muscadel as a serious category is not only to survive but to flourish, then part of what is required lies in the way the major producers handle their marketing. One cellar that believes Muscadel is worthy of a premium is Rietvallei in Robertson, the current-release 2008 vintage of its reserve bottling selling for R130 per 375ml bottle (or R250 per 750ml bottle, complete with wooden presentation box).
Rietvallei has been in the Burger family since 1846, and today the fifth and sixth generations of the family, Johnny and his son Kobus, run the estate. Johnny is in charge of viticulture while Kobus makes the wine and oversees the general management of the business.
The reserve Muscadel carries the designation ‘1908’, grapes for the wine being sourced from a 0.42ha vineyard planted in 1908 and 2008, hence marking its 100th year of existence. This block was established by Koos, Johnny’s great-grandfather at the age of 70, who apparently observed that the deep alluvial soil that characterises the site was so fertile that a corpse buried there would be brought back to life! Though it now bears very little (around two tonnes of grapes a year), it stays in the ground so as to “keep a little bit of history around”.
Rietvallei has a close association with Muscadel. Subsequent to Johnny taking over the farm from his father, Kobus, in the early 1970s, the first wine under the.Rietvallei label was a 1975 Muscadel. Bottling, packaging and sales were handled by quasi-négociant the Bergkelder and, according to Johnny, early editions were adorned with a crest inadvertently appropriated from the Spanish royal family, removed after a terse letter from the true owners.
Today, Muscat de Frontignan makes up just over 10ha of Rietvallei’s total 180ha under vineyard. Total production of Muscadel is between 90 000 and 100 000 litres, of which some 16 000 litres ends up under own label, the currently available 2010 vintage selling for the R48 per 750ml bottle, with the rest sold to Distell at the bulk price of R4.50 per litre.
“In the 1980s, we used to sell 3 000 12-bottle cases of a vintage under our own label [the equivalent of 27 000 litres] but tastes have changed – there’s been a gradual shift to dry,” says Johnny.
As for the ‘1908’ Muscadel specifically, it was made for the first time in 2002, the same year that the Burgers left the Bergkelder to go it alone. What sets it apart is that, because it comes from an old vineyard providing an exceptionally low yield, the grapes are naturally darker in colour and higher in flavour concentration. Total production is 1 500 litres, the equivalent of 4 000 375ml bottles.
What’s at stake when it comes to achieving high-quality Muscadel? Since it is essentially fortified grape juice (little or no complexity gained from the fermentation process, which generally applies when making wine), the condition of the grapes on picking is even more crucial than usual. “What you end up tasting is what you get from your fruit,” says Kobus.
Harvest takes place when grapes have reached between 26° and 30° Balling (Balling being a scale that measures grape sugar concentration). Grapes picked early make for an end product with attractive aromatics but potentially lacking in concentration, while grapes picked late could result in a raisin-like quality.
As for how Rietvallei Muscadel gets treated in the cellar, the grapes are crushed and pumped into open cement tanks. Here the juice is kept on the skins for two days for colour and flavour extraction. During this time the cap (grape skins that compact on the top of the must because of CO2 formation as a result of the onset of fermentation) is doused every two hours by pushing it down into the must by hand.
After the two-day extraction period is complete, the free-run must is drained and the wet skins pressed. The must is then immediately fortified with pure wine spirits and left on its fine lees for two months. Finally, it is taken from the lees and allowed to mature in tank for 12 to 13 months, essential for the marriage of the spirit and the juice.
So should you have the ‘1908’ in your cellar? It’s understandable that most punters are going to pass up on young Muscadel on account of its extreme sweetness, but the best examples are typically capable of gaining complexity over many, many decades. The ‘1908’ is just one of those that will last for a good few decades – you might not get to enjoy it yourself but part of a healthy wine culture is securing greatness for future generations to enjoy.
ABOUT MUSCADEL
Muscadel and Muscat de Frontignan are names by which Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains, the finest of many Muscat wine varieties, are known in South Africa. It is a white grape variety but a red mutation also occurs. The variety is now used largely for fortified wines – grape juice that has been fortified with grape spirit prior to or very shortly after fermentation has begun. Jerepigo meanwhile is the general term for ‘wines’ that have been made by adding alcohol to juice, regardless of variety.
RIETVALLEI'S CURRENT RELEASE MUSCADELS
RIETVALLEI RED 2010
CELLAR PRICE: R48
Pale red, clear and bright. Complex nose showing strawberry, Turkish delight and Muscat fragrance. The palate shows pure, juicy fruit, some spice and fresh acidity. Long, dry finish.
RIETVALLEI ‘1908’ 2008
CELLAR PRICE: R135 (375ML)
Dark red, brown tinge. Displays red fruit, raisins, spice and nuttiness on nose and palate. Huge concentration but fresh acidity lends balance.
9 MUSCADELS WORTH INVESTIGATING
Producer association Muskadel SA was kind enough to provide Wine magazine with the line-up of the nine top-performing wines out of 29 entries from the 2011 Muscadel Awards. Here are our own scores and tasting notes. (ALL BOTTLES ARE 750ML UNLESS STATED TO THE CONTRARY)
MERWIDA WHITE 2010
5 Stars – 18/20
CELLAR PRICE: R40
Luminous yellow with a green tinge. Intense Muscat aromas on the nose. The palate shows excellent purity
of fruit and zippy acidity. Elegant and complex, a superlative wine.
ROOIBERG RED 2009
5 Stars – 18/20
CELLAR PRICE: R34.50 (500ML)
Dark red. Complex nose showing Muscat fragrance, red fruit and some toffee. The palate is very concentrated without sacrificing freshness. Intensely flavoured with plenty of red fruit and spice. Classic stuff.
NUY WIT 2007
4½ Stars – 17/20
CELLAR PRICE: R36
Pale orange. Pleasing development including a hint of caramel on the nose. The palate is thick textured with flavours of milk, honey, nuts and spice.
SLANGHOEK RED 2010
4½ Stars – 17/20
CELLAR PRICE: R39
Bright red. Somewhat shy on the nose, while the palate is medium bodied and elegant with layers of subtle flavour (red fruit, fresh herbs, spice). Persistent finish.
CALITZDORP LETTER FROM THE KLEIN KAROO 2010
4 Stars – 16/20
CELLAR PRICE: R38 (500ML)
Dull yellow. Shy nose. Rich and ripe on the palate with a syrupy texture.
NUY ROOI 2010
4 Stars – 16/20
CELLAR PRICE: R36 (2011 VINTAGE)
Dark red. Shy nose. Big and bold on the palate with lots of ripe red fruit. Somewhat lacking in verve.
BON COURAGE WHITE 2010
3 Stars – 15/20
CELLAR PRICE: R35 (2011 VINTAGE)
Dark yellow. Shy nose. The palate shows plenty of sultana sweetness but relatively simple and short.
MONTAGU RED 2010
3 Stars – 15/20
CELLAR PRICE: R38
Deep red. Shy nose and somewhat plain palate with red fruit and raisin flavours.
DU TOITSKLOOF RED 2010
2 Stars – 14/20
CELLAR PRICE: R42
Very dark red. Ultra-ripe dark fruit on nose and palate. Lacks freshness.
FAVOURITE RECIPE
Rietvallei winemaker Kobus Burger is a keen hunter, and his wife, Elizabeth, a dab hand at preparing venison.
INGREDIENTS
1 springbok loin
olive oil and a knob of butter for frying
salt, pepper and fresh rosemary
½ pack of back bacon, cut into small blocks
100ml Muscadel
100ml cream
1. Pre-heat the oven to 180°C.
2. Remove all tendons from the springbok loin.
3. Heat the olive oil and butter in a frying pan.
4. Add the springbok loin to the pan and flavour with salt, pepper and fresh rosemary. Make sure the loin is
thoroughly bronzed.
5. Remove from the pan and place in an oven tray.
6. Put the bacon, Muscadel and cream into the pan and stir until it forms a sauce.
7. Bake the loin for five minutes just before serving.
8. Serve with Parmesan-flavoured mashed potatoes.
