Fortified Muscats Flashcards
What are the two styles of Fortified Muscats? What are the notable examples of each and their respective locations?
Youthful and Fully Developed
Muscat de Beaumes de Venise, Southern Rhone (Youthful)
Rutherglen, Australia (Fully Developed)
What is the typical acidity of a Muscat varietal?
Low to Medium
What climate does Muscat thrive in? What is the ideal climate situation?
Warm and hot
Best climate features cooling influence (eg, altitude for high diurnal range) to retain acidity and floral aromas
What aromas do Muscat grapes typically have?
Orange blossom, rose, and grape
What are the differences in appearance between a Youthful and a Fully Developed Fortified Muscat?
Youthful - Medium Gold
Fully Developed - Amber to Brown
What are the sweetness levels of a Youthful Muscat vs a Fully Developed Muscat?
Youthful - Sweet (rarely luscious)
Fully Developed - Sweet to Luscious
What are the 3 key differences in winemaking techniques for a Youthful Muscat vs a Fully Developed Muscat?
Youthful - Grapes not dried (dried fruit notes could mask the pure varietal character), level of skin contact varies but is used to increase pure varietal aromas and richness on palate, cool fermentation, stored in inert vessels protected from oxidation before bottling
Fully Developed - Some grapes may be allowed to dry on vine (especially for luscious wines), fermented on skins, sometimes warm maturation, oxidative aging in old oak barrels (sometimes for decades)
How (if at all) is skin contact used in Youthful Muscat and/or a Fully Developed Muscat, and why?
Youthful - Skin contact for
Fully Developed - fermented on skins
For a luscious style Muscat, at what % ABV might fortification take place?
2%
In very long-aged Fully Developed Muscat, how might some pure varietal character be added?
By blending in a younger wine
