Liqueur Muscat,,,, was there ever a more awful name given to such a gorgeous product? It is of course a speciality of our upside down cousins in Australia and they often add words like Antique or Museum to make it sound less pornographic but my advice to you this summer is to ignore the name and give it a go. My experience with these wonderful wines is that at their worst, they are very good and at their best they are truly world class with high alcohol, rich sticky fruit and the ability to be served at any temperature without flaws. The best examples in the world all come from the Rutherglen region of Australia with producers such as Campbells and Morris leading the way. I guess they fall into the category of pudding wines but I hate that term as much as the liqueur one and tend to describe them to friends as an alternative to an aged Tawny or a rich vintage Madeira, but that doesn't really do them justice either, so if you have any suggestions, ‘answers on a postcard as they say’.
They tend to come in a range of colours from almost rose to dark and rich with the concentration of flavours becoming heavier with the darkening colour. My tendency as you can probably guess is to the heavier style but the lighter versions are superb chilled and served with a barbecue. Because the wines are so complex and retain a little extra natural sugar, they can match anything your open flame cookery skills can throw at them so they are the perfect partner for man chefs in the garden this year.
Morris Old Premium Rare Liqueur Muscat
Fresh fruit and alcohol on the nose leading into a fabulously complex palate of spices, dried raisins, dates and Christmas cake. Yeah it’s expensive but it deserves a place on your bucket list.
Excell Wines £77.95
Campbells Rutherglen Muscat
Fresh fruit aromas leading into a delicious palate of sweet red fruits, caramel and dates. It’s just lush.
Waitrose £12.99
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