A patient, concentrated Rutherglen Grand Muscat
A fortified Muscat that reflects the way Matt thinks about time, concentration and quiet complexity. Rich, silky and long, shaped gently over many years in barrel.
- Region and fruit Late picked Rutherglen Muscat, berries naturally concentrated in sugar and flavour.
- Maturation Aged between 15 and 20 years in old oak, with most parcels resting about 18 years before blending.
- Scale Blended in very small volumes, usually 500 to 600 bottles per release.
What to expect
In the glass, the colour sits in the dark amber to tawny spectrum, dense and glass staining. The nose shows raisin, dried fig, plum pudding, toffee and warm spice, with lifted rancio notes from long, quiet ageing.
The palate is thick and silky, with layers of caramel, dried fruit, molasses and spice carried by a gentle line of acidity. It is deeply sweet but not cloying. The finish is clean, persistent and lingers quietly long after each sip.
"Incredibly dense, a sipping wine, a meditation wine."
Huon Hooke, The Real Review, 5 stars, 96 points.
"Very complex, plum pudding, toffee, spice and cleansing rancio."
James Halliday, 95 points.
Why we made this wine
Rutherglen is the epicentre of fortified Muscat in Australia. This Grand Muscat is Matt’s way of honouring that tradition in a very small, carefully managed program.
The aim is not simply power or sweetness. It is to bring sugar, acid, flavour and rancio into balance so the wine feels both luxurious and precise. Each release carries a small addition of fresher material to keep the blend alive and layered over time.
The result is a Grand Muscat that is rich, silky and concentrated, yet still composed. A wine to pour slowly, over many evenings rather than one.
Shipping
$8 shipping applies. for 1-3 bottles
Packed carefully and delivered with minimal fuss.
Food and serving
Classic matches
Christmas cake, plum pudding, rich fruit desserts, aged cheddar, blue cheeses and simple plates of dried fruits and nuts.
Indulgent
A generous pour over Golden North vanilla ice cream makes a simple but very effective dessert.
Summer serve
Matt’s Muscat Mule brings a lighter side to the style:
1 part Grand Muscat
4 parts ginger beer, or to taste
A generous squeeze of lime
Pour over ice, mint optional.
Serve slightly chilled in warmer weather or at cool room temperature in winter. A small glass is usually enough.
Beautiful wines, made with care.
Important details
The Muscat fruit is picked late in the season, once some berries have gently dried on the vine. This natural desiccation concentrates sugar and flavour before the fruit even reaches the winery.
At Smidge, the fruit is destemmed to a fermenter and allowed to begin a small natural fermentation. Matt usually lets it move to about 0.5 percent alcohol. This short ferment introduces another layer of aroma and flavour.
He then calculates the volume of neutral spirit required and adds about three quarters of this to the fermenting must. After a quick check, a little more spirit is added to fully arrest fermentation. The must is left to soak for several days so the berries can rehydrate in the spirit, locking in aroma and making it easier to press all of the flavour from the skins.
From there, the process becomes one of patience. The fortified wine rests for many years in old oak, slowly concentrating as the angels take their share. Individual parcels are kept separate, then blended quietly to bring sweetness, acid, flavour and rancio into line, exactly where Matt wants them for a Grand Muscat that is rich, silky and delicious.