Hugh Hamilton The Ruffian Liqueur Muscat 500ml

The single greatest winemaker of all-time is time itself. Freshly harvested muscat is wonderfully fragrant but it is only with time maturing in oak that its true depth is revealed. This is entirely non-negotiable, and so we simply wait for time to do its work. Big sultry lift of dried figs, polished wood, and cold tea. Candied oranges and almonds ride along the luscious sweetness, this kept in check with a smart line of acid. The musky depth lives long past that first sip, teasing well into the afterglow.

The luscious sweetness of this wine is entirely natural, frozen in place just as the juice begins fermentation by the addition of high strength grape spirit that stops the yeast in their tracks and gives the warming alcohol that is central to this style. The juice and the spirit are a bit like kids at a high school dance when first put together – it takes time to leave the safety of the sidelines and join the dance but when they do the result is revelatory.