Chambers Rosewood Vineyards
Old Vine Muscadelle
Rutherglen, Australia
NECTAR WINE STYLE
Mocha and coffee bean aromas with toffee and malt with just a hint of cold tea. Palate of malt, salted caramel with mocha and cold tea notes, good length of flavor with persistence. A luscious wine with age characters evident. Solera bases from the early 1990’s. Deep tawny/black coffee color with a hint of olive at the edge.
Analysis: 17.5-17.9% alcohol / volume
pH: 3.53
Titratable Acidity: 5.4 g/L
Critical Acclaims:
- The Real Review – Huon Hooke – Recommended Rating: 95 Points
- James Suckling:
- 2023 Rating: 97
- 2024 Rating: 96
- Halliday Wine Companion:
- 2026 Rating: 95
- 2025 Rating: 95
- 2024 Rating: 95
- 2022 Rating: 95
- 2021 Rating 95
- 2020 Rating: 97
- 2019 Rating: 97
WINE AND CHEESE PAIRING RECOMMENDATION: Pair with our February Cheese Club selection – Clawson Farm’s Blue Stilton. The pungent saltiness and bold flavor of a blue cheese cuts through the wine’s sweetness and complements its nutty, caramelized character beautifully.. Learn more about our wine and cheese pairings here.
WINEMAKING:
The wine is made from late-harvested Muscadelle, a minor white Bordeaux variety, with sugar levels above 16 baumé typically achieved between mid-April and early May. After crushing and de-stemming, the fruit is pressed immediately and undergoes only minimal fermentation, sometimes less than 1 baumé. The juice is then fortified with neutral grape spirit to preserve primary fruit character, initially to around 16% alcohol. Following settling in stainless steel and cross-flow filtration, the alcohol is adjusted to 18–19% before maturation in cask.
Wines from individual vineyards and vintages are matured separately in casks ranging from 900 to 5000 litres and held until blending. Selection for Old Vine Muscadelle is based on quality rather than age, with only wines of good to very good standard considered.
Maturation continues in a three-tier modified solera established in the late 20th century by WB Chambers (fifth generation), originally seeded with a 1986 Muscadelle, traces of which may still remain. The solera begins with small barrels, followed by two levels of 2300-litre casks, with bottling wine drawn from the final tier. All movements are carefully assessed to ensure soundness and maturity, and the wine is bottled on demand.
Chambers Rosewood Vineyards
Old Vine Muscat
Rutherglen, Australia
NECTAR WINE STYLE
Raisins and rose petal aromas combine with a luscious palate consistent with the fruit aromas and the hint of wood age. The result is a rich, well balanced wine with depth of flavor to enjoy with cheese dishes or chocolate based desserts.
Analysis: 17.4-18% alcohol / volume
Glucose & Fructose: 290.8 g/L
pH: 3.68
TA: 5.1 g/L
Critical Acclaim:
WINE AND CHEESE PAIRING RECOMMENDATION: Pair with our February Cheese Club selection – Saint Nectaire AOC. A washed-rind cheese has a rich, earthy creaminess that complements the opulent fruit and spice layers of the Muscat without overwhelming the palate.. Learn more about our wine and cheese pairings here.
WINEMAKING:
Muscat is made from Muscat à Petits Grains, with the reddish-brown Muscat à Petits Grains Rouge preferred in Rutherglen. Except for the 2015–2022 period, fruit is hand-picked and harvested at high sugar levels, typically above 16° baumé. After de-stemming, the must, including recovered raisins, is transferred to tank and undergoes a partial fermentation of around 2–3° baumé, either inoculated or wild, contributing color and complexity. Sugar released from rehydrating raisins can temporarily increase baumé, extending fermentation time.
Once the desired sugar level is reached, the must is pressed and fortified with neutral grape spirit to arrest fermentation at around 16% alcohol, preserving varietal character. The wine is settled, cross-flow filtered, adjusted to 18% alcohol, and matured in old casks ranging from 900 to 5000 liters. Individual vineyards and vintages are kept separate until blending.
Old Vine Muscat sits within the Classic category and is built around a solera developed over more than a decade, drawing on original material from vines over 100 years old. Current blends typically include fruit from 30- to 100-plus-year-old vines, with selection based on quality rather than age. The wine is bottled on demand.
ABOUT THE WINERY:
Since establishment in 1858, in Victoria’s famed Rutherglen region in Australia, winemaking duties at Chambers Rosewood have been passed down from father to son through six generations. Today, Chambers Winery and Vineyards are operated by Stephen Chambers, supported by his father, the legendary Bill Chambers. This relaxed family-owned winery has been producing Muscats and Muscadelles that have been recognized all over the world for their complexity, intensity and balance for centuries. Learn more here.
Information & Photos © Chambers Rosewood Vineyards – All Rights Reserved.
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