As you travel the Rutherglen wine region, comparing house styles of Muscat and diving into the characters of each site can be a delicious and rewarding wine experience. 

The All Saints Estate house styles of Muscat and Muscadelle fortifieds generally have lifted and lighter aromatics, particularly in the Rutherglen and Classic classifications. Rutherglen wineries on sandier soils along the old Murray River bank, including All Saints Estate and St Leonards Vineyard, show this character compared with the wineries further from the river on heavier soils. 

Winemaker Nick Brown finds that leaves on sandier soils tend to turn colour and fall earlier. Occasionally All Saints Estate will have vintages with quite a late, long warm period of weather where the baume level can get up to 25, generating riper blending material, but generally, All Saints Estate baume is around 18.

Understanding soil type is one factor, but the most significant factor in house style for All Saints Estate would have to be the architecture of the building and where the wines are stored. There are 5000L casks stored in the 'cooler' (less hot) parts of the building, and barriques held about a metre below the corrugated iron roof. Nick will very rarely, if ever, move any of these barrels or casks due to the risk of dramatically changing the style.

Depending on the classification, Nick can blend different parcels of wine from other parts of the building to provide richness or youthfulness. The castle at All Saints Estate is quite a large building, so this does slow the ageing process, ensuring our wines retain their length and elegance.

If you're seeking a wine which best captures the All Saints Estate house style, Nick suggests tryingAll Saints Estate Classic Rutherglen Muscatdue to its beautiful balance of youthful fruit and aged complexity.

You can also shop the full range of fortified winesonline here.