Tasting Notes

The wine has an immensely appealing bouquet of rosewater and Turkish Delight, intertwined with orange blossom and musk. The spritzy palate is brightly fruity, displaying fresh strawberry and Turkish Delight flavours, combining zesty fresh acidity with around 80g/l of residual sugar to deliver a supple, fresh and delicate finish.

Producer

This boutique winery in the heart of Margaret River creates idiosyncratic named ranges like Suckfizzle in a low interventionist and organic way keeping their approach as simple as possible to allow their cherished vineyards to show their quality.

It is not merely in the names where these wines are memorable, as once you have tasted them you will see why Luke Jolliffe, the winemaker, continues to receive recognition and awards from around the world for wines that have that wonderful Margaret River restraint and elegance, but are bound together with a fruit purity that makes them delectable.

Production

The Muscat grapes are hand picked then cooled before crushing in the press and remain on their skins for around 6 hours to extract colour and flavour. After pressing, the juice is settled bright, and then fermented at approximately 12 degrees c with an aromatic yeast strain. When the desired alcohol level is reached, the fermentation is stopped by rapid cooling in order to maintain the natural grape sugars and the carbon dioxide gas evolved during the fermentation process. Bottling occurs in May of the vintage year, in time for a spring release.

Specifications

The Muscat from La Pigeade is characterized by its freshness and finesse and is to be found in many of the leading restaurants of the Rhone Valley. 

Tasting Notes

Colour

A light gold wine, shiny with golden reflections. 

Palate

The complex aromatic palette combines pear with rose water and exotic fruits.

Soil cultivation

Sustainable cultivation for over 30 years; grassing controlled mechanically (hoeing). Scribbling is practiced several times a year at different depths depending on the case.

Vinification

Hand harvested and sorted before 100% de-stemming and maceration on skins for 10 hours at 3°C before pressing. Cool-fermented to reach a natural alcohol of 5 % before the ferment is arrested by the addition of grape spirit to reach a minimum of 15 % alcohol, with a minimum of 110 g/l residual sugar. Matured on fine lees in tank for two months prior to bottling.

History

Very little sweet Muscat was made before 1945 when Muscat de Beaumes de Venise was classified an AOC for its vin doux naturel, but by the 1970’s and 1980’s its popularity in northern Europe was probably greater than Sauternes or sweet German wines. The wines, by law,  must have an ABV of 15% and at least 110g/L residual sugar. Domaine de la Pigeade was purchased by the Vaute family in 1960 who came from wine families but this domaine was the first generation of winemakers. Up until 1996 all fruit from the 25ha estate was sent to the cooperative but with the succession of the second generation, Thierry and his wife Marina, a cellar was built and the wine-making was brought in house. The domaine sits outside the village of Beaumes, which is sandwiched in between the Dantelles de Montmirail and Mount Ventoux. Of the 25ha around 20 are Muscat blanc à petits grains averaging 35 years of age. The vines are planted on a argilo-calcaire and all weed control is manual. The fruit is harvested at a very low 30hl/ha.

Specifications