Region: Australia, McLaren Vale

Grape variety: Red Frontignac, White Frontignac, Shiraz & Grenache

Background: Started by the late Doug Collet in 1973, Woodstock in McLaren Vale has always had an eye on the future. As well as red, white and rose wines, Woodstock has a ken focus on fortified wines too. When his son and current owner, Scott took over in 1982, the tradition has continued with fine wine making from the old vines on the property. Ben Glaetzer is now the chief winemaker with Scott managing vines – a winning team as shown by the Heartland range.

With a sweet tooth, and a passion for capturing grape flavours, winemaker Scott Collett started fortifying sweet Muscat styles in 1984. Scott would crush almost raisined, highly aromatic grapes of Muscat and Frontignac varieties to end the vintage after all the other wines were made. Pure grape spirit was added soon after ferment started, making perfumed, luscious wine of about 18% alcohol.

Although the average age of this Muscat is around 15 years, the youngest is 5 and the oldest is 25 years old when bottled. With barrel maturation, the wine becomes even sweeter as some evaporates to the “angel’s share”, and the caramel and toffee flavours grow. Colour slowly settles out of the wine during aging. A portion of younger Muscat adds aromatic fruit aroma and flavour to freshen up the complex aged components.

Tasting notes: Raisin characters on the nose with orange zest aromas and a glimpse of Christmas pudding evident. Decadent, luscious lingering toffee and grape sweetness tempts the sweet tooth in you. This wine was deliberately bottled unfiltered to retain its viscosity and fullness.

Awards: Gold at 2010 Royal Melbourne Wine Show 

VEGAN