Winemaker’s Notes
2007
JOULLIAN MUSCAT HAMBURG • Carmel Valley
Estate
Black Muscat Hamburg, besides being one of Europe's favorite table grapes, has produced aromatic dessert wines for centuries. Joullian planted it for table grapes in 1984, and grafted 1/4 acre over to the variety in 2001 for wine production. Our goal has been to produce relatively low alcohol (11-13%), crisp, moderately sweet dessert wines that compliment, rather than dominate fine desserts…especially chocolate.
We cold fermented the Muscat with wild yeast for 10 days and chilled the fermenter to 35° F to stop the fermentation at 7% residual sugar to balance the acidity. For roundness, 33% of the wine was barrel aged in the cold winter cellar (to avoid re-fermentation) before the blend was bottled in late Spring 2008.
Muscat Hamburg 2007 was a perfect vintage. Our staff hovered over the grapes and wine like mother hens,
and the result is sheer bliss with dark chocolate desserts or blue cheese!
TECHNICAL INFORMATION:
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Varietal Content: |
100% Muscat Hamburg |
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Appelation/AVA: |
100% Joullian Estate, Carmel Valley |
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Harvest Dates: |
November 15, 2007 |
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Sugar at Harvest: |
23.8° Brix |
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Fermentation: |
7 Days at 55° F fermentation; punched down 3 times a day |
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Barrel Aging: |
33% in neutral French oak barrels for 5 months |
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Alcohol: |
11.2% |
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Total Acidity/PH: |
6.2 g/L: 3.70 |
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Residual Sugar: |
“Off dry” (7.0%)
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Total Production: |
168 cases 375ml |
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Release Date: |
August, 2008 |
TASTING NOTES:
Medium garnet with pink rim. Ripe, floral, spicy Muscat, cinnamon, red licorice, and cherry aromas explode out of the glass. Rich,balanced,moderately sweet Muscat,black cherry, cola, and cinnamon flavors are balanced by crisp acidity and light tannins that cleanse the palate and accentuate the cocoa finish in fine chocolate desserts.
FOOD COMPANIONS:
Chocolate is a natural, the darker and more bittersweet, the softer and richer the wine finishes. 24- hour refrigerated and Muscat-soaked poached seckel pears will get you into the Gastronome-of–the-Month Club.