Rosa d’Oro Muscat Canelli – A Must Have Muscat

100% Muscat from California.

SRP of $16 and available for $15. Sample received courtesy the winemaker for review purposes.

From the winemaker:

The 2009 vintage was a strange one, and our Muscat Canelli was harvested almost a month later than normal near the end of October, leading to richer mouthfeel and greater weight and ripe aromas while the cool temperature kept the alcohol in check. It shows the classic fruit bowl nose of almonds, peaches, and vanilla but with enough acidity to be also considered a food wine and balance the 1.1% residual sugar and can be enjoyed just as a Gewurztraminer would with spicy foods. Or, simply chill down and enjoy in summer with nibbles.

12.5% Alcohol

This is the first of three wines that Pietro Buttitta of Rosa d’Oro Vineyard was kind enough to send along for review. Over the next few days we will also review their Primitivo and Sangiovese. And while I am definitely partial to red wines this time of year, I decided to give the Muscat Canelli a try first and was rather surprised how much I liked it!

The 2009 Rosa d’Oro Muscat Canelli begins with light floral aromas of honeysuckle plus some nice pineapple and other zesty tropical fruit. The wine tastes good with really nice smooth flavors that are not overly sweet for a Muscat but certainly sweet enough. This wine has a fabulous texture and features tropical fruit flavor (pineapple, passion fruit, guava) plus some honey. The finish is very long – the sweet tropical fruit keeps going and going. Really a delicious wine that tastes like it would even be lower than 12.5% alcohol.

See a listing of local retailers selling this wine here.