All Saints Estate Museum Muscadelle Half Bottle 375ml, Rutherglen

Instantly immersive, intense and, above all, extraordinary - this is a wine that will stay in your memory. With an average age of 100+ years, t reaches into time to deliver a remarkable depth of complexity and flavours that remain quintessentially elegant and bright. A wealth of dried fruits, Nanna's plum pudding, caramel slice, dark malt biscuit, dried dates and chocolate married to a deep rancio nuttiness greets you and then stays with you, lingering, unwavering, sweetly memorable.

100 points Jeni Port, Halliday Wine Companion

All Saints Estate has been a Rutherglen landmark since Scottish brothers George and John Sutherland Smith established the property at Wahgunyah in 1864. Its magnificent castle like winery is home to something even more valuable than the architecture: stocks of mature fortified wines patiently ageing in old barrels. Museum Muscadelle draws on that history, offering the luscious, nutty style once widely known as Tokay and now proudly labelled by its grape variety.

Muscadelle behaves very differently here from the delicate white wines it can produce elsewhere. Rutherglen’s warm, dry conditions allow the grapes to become intensely ripe before fortification, while extended maturation in seasoned oak gradually concentrates the wine and develops its characteristic combination of caramel, tea, nuts and dried fruit. Museum sits in the richer, more mature end of the All Saints range, with barrel age bringing considerable complexity.

Deep amber mahogany with flashes of olive gold, the bouquet is wonderfully decadent with butterscotch, burnt caramel, dried apricot and fig. Toffee, roasted walnut, orange marmalade, black tea and warm spice follow, with hints of coffee and maple syrup underneath. The palate is luscious and silky, with caramelised fruit and treacle balanced by savoury nuttiness and refreshing acidity. Tea leaf and roasted nuts cut through the sweetness before a long finish of toffee, orange peel and spice.

Crème brûlée is calling, but there is also sticky date pudding, tarte Tatin, walnut cake or a salty blue cheese with dried apricots. Our pick is the crème brûlée. Crack through that burnt sugar crust and the combination of caramel, vanilla custard and mature Muscadelle should be outrageous.

Cellaring: Superb now and capable of holding for many years unopened. Once opened, keep it cool and dark and enjoy over several months.