August 2010

Muscat

Muscat

Not sure whether to bring flowers or wine? Bring both in one bottle when you bring Muscat. Wines made from this grape – and there are many, as it grows everywhere – are immediately recognizable by there pretty floral scent, paler and more delicate than Gewurztraminer’s without the spice.
Muscat at a glance: pale color; light, sweet, green grapey fruit; light, flowery fragrance, often like orange blossoms; low acidity. For drinking soon after its vintage date. Most Muscat grown around the world is made into sweet wines, but there are some very fine dry versions from the Alsace region of France. Italy makes many Muscat wines, some of the best of which are the lightly sweet and sparkling Moscato d’ Asti of Piedmont. In southern France, southern Italy and Australia a delicious, sweet dessert wine is made with the addition of alcohol. Oh, by the way Muscat is also called Moscato, or Moscatel.
Our tasting was done in 3 sections. The first had 4 wines going from dry, off-dry, to semi sweet and sweet. The second set was 4 sparking wines with low alcohol from Oregon, Spain, Italy and Washington. The third set was 2 sweeter dessert wines with higher alcohol. One bonus wine was added from Washington which actually came in 2nd place in the groups scoring.
Place Wine name From Year Alc Price
1 -257
Muscat de Riversaltes dessert
France
NV 16.5% $21.79
2 -249 Muscat Canelli Pasek Cellars Yakima 2008 12% $13
3 -246 Sutter Home sweet Napa ,CA 2009 10% $6
4 -228 Seppelltsfield No.9       Muscat Rutherglen dessert Australia 16% $21
5 -227 Saraccco Muscato D’ Asti sparkling Italy 2009 6% $16
6 -225.5
CA’Del Solo Bonny Doon off dry
Monterey, CA
2008 12.5% $19
7 -224.5 Laurant Barth   dry              Muscat D’ Alsace France 2006 12.5% $21.60
8 -217 Murfatlar Muscat Ottonel semi-sweet Romania 2008 12% $10
9 -216.5 Latah Creek                       Muscato d’ Latah sparkling Washington 2008 6% $15
10 -196 Silvan Ridge Early Muscat semi-sparkling Oregon 2008 6.5% $15.50
11 -177 Flare Sparkling Muscat sparkling Spain NV 7.5% $12