White Fortified Wine

While the definition of what actually constitutes a ‘White Fortified’ can be a little blurry, without a doubt the various excellent White Muscats produced by many wineries in Australia fall within this category. The history and procedures that go into making a White Fortified are similar to those of the Muscats in general and other Fortifieds. However, as with all wines, the difference is to be found in the subtle blending and the techniques employed by the individual winemakers.

A Fortified wine is one created in the usual manner of most wines, but one where in the middle of its fermentation a spirit of alcohol is added. It is a wine therefore that has been ‘fortified’ in the sense of being made stronger in alcohol (‘fortis’ being the Latin for ‘strong’). In the United States Fortified wines are usually known as Dessert wines and while this label is sometimes given to wines in Australia it is more common to refer to them by the variety used in their making. In the case of White Fortifies this is the Muscat, a grape that is also known as Frontignac.

The making of Fortified wines has a long history in Australia, and Fortifieds out produced table wines until the great wine boom of the 1980s. This was partly a matter of taste as well as being due to the fact that Fortifieds that could best survive the long trip to England, for long the main outlet for Australian produce.

One of Australia’s leading White Fortifies is the White Liqueur Muscat from Ballandean in the Granite Belt wine region of Queensland. The White Liqueur Muscat is aged in German oak barrels and given a long period of maturation. The barrels are 135 years of age and were imported from Germany over 90 years ago. The Ballandean Estate is the oldest family owned and operated winery in Queensland and has been producing fine wines since 1930, though at first mainly for family consumption.

From the Torbreck winery comes the Bothie Frontignac 2005 made from the white Frontignac (Muscat blanc a petits grains) grown in the Barossa Valley wine region of South Australia. Winemaker David Powell has revitalized Torbreck’s Moppa vineyard to produce the superb grapes that go into the base wine of this vintage. The grapes are crushed with as little skin contact as possible and the primary fermentation takes place in stainless steel tanks before brandy spirit is added in mid-fermentation. The result is one of Australia’s leading White Fortifieds.

From the Margaret River wine region of Western Australian there is the Stella Bella Pink Muscat 2007. Made also from the Muscat Blanc a petits grains, the Stella Bella is a Silver medal winner at the Decanter World Wine Awards, and the London International Wine Challenge. John Cleese also autographed a special limited edition release.

From LedaSawn comes the Creme de Vin, a Fortified White Muscat that is also certified organic. Not only are the grapes at LedaSwan organic but they are also produced without irrigation, to maximize the flavours of the fruit. It is only lightly fortified with neutral spirit and for a final touch is fined with organic full cream milk. The name LedaSwan comes from the myth of Leda and the Swan.

Perhaps one of the more unique wines is the 2008 Orange Muscat and Flora from the Brown Brothers. The strong flavoured Orange Muscat is the dominant blend (80%), with the Flora contributing texture. These grape varieties are rare in Australia, the Orange Muscat and Flora are both white grape varieties being pioneered by Brown Brothers. The Orange Muscat is part of the Muscat family from France, its name deriving from the strong perfume of orange blossom as the grapes are crushed, while Flora is a cross between Semillon and Gewürztraminer.

While only a small proportion of all the wines produced in Australia, White Fortifieds are an excellent introduction to Fortified wines for those who have not yet had the opportunity to enjoy the excellence of this style of wine.