There are wines you do not simply drink, you contemplate them. Chambers Rosewood's Muscat de Rutherglen is one of those. Since 1858, six generations of the Chambers family have cultivated and enriched soleras of Muscat à Petits Grains Rouges that constitute one of the rarest and most ancient treasures in the world of wine. Robert Parker awarded them two perfect scores of 100 points in 2001 and included them in his book "The World's Greatest Wine Estates," describing them as true "national treasures."
History / Heritage
In 1858, William Chambers, a British emigrant, settled on the banks of the Murray River and planted a hedge of roses all around his property, hence the name "Rosewood." With his son Philip, he laid the foundations of what would become a six-generation family saga. The third generation, William (Will) Chambers, initiated the Muscat and Muscadelle soleras from the beginning of the 20th century and began to distinguish himself in wine competitions as early as 1901. The fourth generation would face the phylloxera crisis, replanting the entire vineyard on American rootstocks. The sixth generation, Stephen Chambers, took over in 2001 and continues this tradition today with the same exacting standards.
The Terroir
Rutherglen, in the north-east of Victoria, is one of Australia's warmest appellations, a dry continental heat, with long scorching summers and cold winters. This extreme climatic regime allows the Muscat à Petits Grains Rouges (known locally as Muscat Blanc) to over-ripen dramatically, with the grapes shrivelling on the vine late in the season. The well-drained sandy-clay soils retain just enough moisture to drive this slow and regular ripening. The old vines, some of which are more than a century old and trained on a single-wire trellis, produce infinitesimal yields of remarkable aromatic concentration.
Viticulture and Winemaking
Harvest takes place in the southern autumn, when the grapes are lightly shrivelled and natural sugars have reached extraordinary levels. After a brief maceration and partial fermentation, the addition of neutral alcohol halts fermentation and preserves the residual sugars (between 270 and 400 g/l for the Rares). Ageing takes place within a semi-open solera system, where barrels of different ages, some dating to the 1890s, are artfully blended by Stephen Chambers according to a tradition passed down from generation to generation. The average age of the blends for the classic Rutherglen Muscat is seven years; for the Grand, more; for the Rare, a minimum of twenty.
Wines / Key Cuvées
The range is divided into four levels, Rutherglen, Classic, Grand, and Rare, reflecting the increasing age and complexity of the Muscat. The entry-level Rutherglen Muscat already reveals aromas of orange marmalade, caramel, dried figs, and honey, with remarkable velvety length. The Classic Muscat goes further: chocolate, coffee, roasted cashew, and date. The Rare Muscat, assembled from barrels whose base material dates to the 1890s–1900s, is an experience beyond time, an aromatic depth and complexity that defy any brief description.
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