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+--- Thread: 1975 K.W.V. Muscatel (/thread-8699.html)
- winecollector - 05-19-2000
During another one of my wine buying excursions, I found two bottles of 1975 K.W.V. Muscatel at $14 and change. It has an alcohol level of 17%. I assume this is some type of a port wine?
If anyone can give me some more info on this one, it would be appreciated.
- Innkeeper - 05-20-2000
Muscatel was once known as the poorman's Sauternes. At $14.00 it is now the middleclass man's Sauternes. As a dessert wine version of the already sweet Muscat grape, the comparison with Sauternes is more appropriate than with Port. To the best of our knowledge Muscatel is not fortified as Port is.
- winecollector - 05-20-2000
Any idea how they get the alcohol level so high then? Or is Sauternes also around 17% ? I've never had Sauternes- I usually stay on the dry side.
- Jason - 05-20-2000
KWV's version would be a tough call because they don't have any production laws to really abide by on this wine. It is posssible to make the wine at %17 without fortification. We see this in extreme examples of Cali Zin.
What is more likely though, is that this is lightly fortified as in the case of Banyul.
Muscat, like Banyul, is seen in southern France and would probably be the model for KWV version. There has always been a strong tie between the South Africans and the French in terms of wine.
The alcohol is used to arrest fermentation, and preserve the fruit, which is plentiful in Muscat.
- Pinotage1 - 06-01-2000
This is a port-like wine made from Red Muscadel and should be absolutly delicious, at 25 years old. It won a double gold medal in the Veritas wine competition in SA.
Ellen V