Stanton & Killeen Rare Muscat NV

An appearance of deep brown with an olive tinge. Intense fruitcake, walnut and chocolate aromas. Fresh fruit cake with intense raisins are balanced with coffee beans from wood maturation. This luscious and velvety wine has a complex palate of many layers. Fresh fruitcake and intense raisin flavours are balanced with coffee beans from wood maturation. The finish is dry and savoury with distinct ‘rancio’ characteristics, a unique characteristic found in fortified wines which have spent a significant amount of time in oak barrels. Rare by name and rare by nature, it is the pinnacle of the style. Blended from only the best parcels of fruit with base material from the 1970s; it has an average age of 25 years and is the final tier of the four classifications, Rutherglen, Classic, Grand and Rare.

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Vinification

If a parcel of fruit is regarded as particularly special, it will be kept apart after fortification and may eventually “graduate” to the Grand or Rare solera system. These wines do not come about every year, and are a product of exceptional vintages, combining depth of fruit with complexity of age. We draw off small quantities from our oldest collection of barrels and then fill these barrels with the next oldest collection. The youngest collection is only occasionally refilled, with wines that have already undergone many years of ageing and careful selection. The final blend is a combination of rich and intense parcels to create a wonderfully layered wine, often involving many generations of winemaking patience.

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Recommendation

Premium, hand-made chocolate or on its own to appreciate the full depth and range of flavours.