Rutherglen Muscat 750ml Bottle, 2L Flagon, 5L Plastic

Alcohol: 17.6 %
Glucose & Fructose: 260.3 g/L
pH: 4.00
Titratable Acidity: 4.2g/L

Muscat is made from the variety muscat à petits grains, which can range in colour from a green (white) grape through to black. The colour favoured for muscat production in Rutherglen is reddish-brown and is often referred to as muscat à petits grains rouge.

Prior to 2015 the fruit was hand harvested now it is machine harvested. Fruit is harvested at higher baumés (16º Bé plus preferred). The grapes are then de-stemmed with the resultant must and recovered raisons are placed into tank. Depending upon the disease status the must is either inoculated with yeast or a wild ferment allowed. Only a partial fermentation of the juice is undertaken (usually 2º to 3º Bé depending upon initial fruit ripeness). The fermentation will add colour and complexity to the wine. We tend to find that there is an increase in baumé in the initial 24 to 72 hours due liberation of sugar from raison rehydration, thus enabling a longer fermentation.

Once desired amount of sugar has been fermented, the must is placed into the press for juice extraction. The fermenting juice obtained is fortified with neutral grape spirit referred to as SVR(~ 96% alcohol; ) to 16% alcohol to arrest the fermentation. The neutral spirit is chosen to enable the fruit expression of the variety. The resultant wine is then placed into stainless steel tank for settling, then racked prior to cross flow filtration. The filtered wine is then adjusted to 18% alcohol before transfer to old, large casks for aging. Cask volume varies from 900 to 5000 litres.

Individual vintages and vineyards are kept as separate wines until blending.

The Rutherglen Muscat is the entry level to our Muscat Range. The wine is youthful and expressive of the primary characters of the variety. To produce the Rutherglen Muscat, we first conduct a series of bench trials utilising the single vintage wines before settling on a final blend. The selected wines are then blended, filtered then placed back into cask until required for bottling and sale.

The wine is bottled on demand to ensure the best product possible.

Tawny in colour. Aromatics of rose petals, dried apricots, and raisons, these characters are evident on the palate resulting in a youthful and vibrant wine showing freshness of fruit and lusciousness. This is keeping in the Rutherglen Muscat Style of youthful and fresh style.

We recommend serving this wine with slightly chilled in the warmer months to reduce the alcohol heat.

James Suckling
2023 Rating: 93

‘The opening act to an imperious suite of fortifieds. A range that serves an apogee of lustrous depth, alluring complexity and thrilling length across the board. This, a little lighter. Younger. Easier going. Yet this fails to communicate just how gorgeous the wine is. Aromas of date, ginger, rosewater, grape spice, cardamon and mulled quince. The freshness is sprightly, negating any sense of cloying sweetness while promoting a long, lingering finish. I'd slurp this with a chill. Drink or hold indefinitely.’ JAMES SUCKLING Ned Goodwin MW 2023

Halliday Wine Companion
92 Points Halliday rating

The youngest, the lightest in colour and the bounciest. Fairly jumps out of the glass in grapey freshness. A roll call of youthful vitality and flavours of nougat, orange peel, raisin and Turkish delight. Also brings a degree of complexity, which is something you don't always see at this level or price point. 750ml.

Jeni Port - Published 13 August 2021

Matthew Jukes
"There are very few wines in the world that are truly iconic, fairly priced and score as highly as this one does in my notes… If there was a magic wand I would have a go at that, too. Suffice to say that Chambers Rosewood makes legendary Muscat and the toffee, rosewater and fig notes in this wine are all-encompassing and I hope that some of the molecules never leave my body because it is clearly a magical elixir. I urge everyone who reads this to buy a bottle."

James Suckling
2023 Rating: 93

Halliday Wine Companion
2022 Rating: 92
2021 Rating: 92

Wine Enthusiast Top 100 Wines
2021 #8 out of 100
Rating: 93

Texsom International Wine Awards (US)
2022 Platinum
2021 Platinum

Decanter World Wine Awards (UK)
2021 Rating: 93