Muscat

This is a desert wine from an island just off the coast of Tunisia, Africa, but belonging to Sicily.  There are strong winds and the grapes lose their moisture and raisin on the vine.  It is made from the Zimbibbo grape which is also known as Muscat of Alexandria.  It has an amber iced tea color, clear and bright.  The nose is amazing with apricots, orange peel, dried pineapple, and wild sage.  Full bodied and viscous.  On the palate, apricots, dried apricots, and orange rind with enough acidity to balance the sweetness.  Long finish.  Delicious and interesting.  This will likely last for d

This is a sparkling wine from Armenia made from the Muscat grape.  The secondary fermentation happens in tanks not bottles which is a pretty successful process used in Eastern Europe and Asia to make inexpensive sparkling wines.  Tasted with a group, lots of comparisons to Asti Spumante or Martini & Rossi wines which is fair, but this beats most of those in price.  Light golden in color, clear and bright.  A nice froth of larger bubbles which leaves the glass quickly.  The nose has nice peach notes with some minerality.  On the palate, there is some carbonation.  Slightly sweet but not

This is a classic dessert wine in an attractive 500ML bottle.  Golden in color, clear and bright.  The nose is drop dead gorgeous.  Apricots, marigolds, slight honey, floral notes, and a touch of dried fruits (oranges?).  Full bodied.  Viscous.  Sweet not cloying.  Clean.  On the palate, this is not quite the nose, but outstanding anyway.  Layers of candied apricots, quince (think tart oranges with more acidity), and just a touch of spice (nutmeg?).  Enough acidity to balance the sweetness.  Complex and also delicious.  Long finish.  This should last decades.  Great on its own, this should

This was a fascinating wine.  From a 500ML bottle.  Muskateller is from the Muscat family of grapes.  Although it is a white grape, it was very dark in color.  The bottle was 26 years old and the wine had seeped up to the top of the cork.  That said, it was a very nice showing.  Deep brown with tinges of red and orange, clear and bright.  The nose is great with honeyed figs, peaches and also blood oranges.  Viscous and sweet, not cloying.  On the palate, there is nice acidity.  The honeyed figs come thru and also a cherry note.  Long finish.  Complex and delicious.  This should have a long

So, one day in the wine cellar, I discovered this bottle had sprung a leak.  It was stood up and as soon as the opportunity offered itself, the cork was popped.  The wine showed great.  A twenty five year old sweet Muscat from one of the top producers anywhere.  The cork showed it has leaked from two spots.  The wine was deep golden in color.  A lovely nose of canned peaches with some minerals.  Viscous.  Just slightly sweet.  On the palate, this is good, but I had hoped for a bit more depth and complexity.  The peaches come thru.  No real signs of age or oxidation.  Good finish.  Old bottl

One of the great dessert wines over the last couple hundred years.  Made from Muscat de Frontignan.  Deep amber orange in color.  The nose is very nice with honey and slight apricot.  On the palate this is slightly sweet, not cloying.  Honey and a bit more intense apricots.  Long finish.  Seep and complex, this is still young and there is some upside.  

This is made from organically grown grapes.  Very pale, silvery coppery gold in color.  The nose has a great orange peel quality.  Kind of like the spray that happens when one peels and orange.  Slightly viscous in texture.  It has a perception of sweetness but the wine is dry.  On the palate, this is very good.  Mild fruit, sort of like a tart strawberry.  The mid-palate returns to citrus with a tart (in a good way) grapefruit on the finish.  Good acidity, this worked quite well with summer foods.  Surprisingly more complex than it seems at first.  Refreshing.  This turned out to be a crow

This is history in a bottle.  One of the great wines from South Africa and still a great dessert wine.  Light golden in color.  The nose is honeyed with apricots and peach.  On the palate, this is sweet without being cloying.  Honey and apricots.  A bit of acidity.  Worked well with food.  A little goes a long way but it is delicious.