Muscat de Beaumes-de-Venise is a tiny appellation, in France's Rhône Valley in the Vaucluse department, close to Vacqueyras and Gigondas to the west and north. The village is famous for its Vin Doux Naturel (VDN); a sweet wine made by fortifying partly fermented Muscat Blanc à Petit Grains grape must. The appellation was awarded its AOC status in 1945 and upgraded to a cru (the highest order of the wines in the Rhône Valley) in 2005.
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| @Muscat Grape Bunches. |
Sweet wines are being produced in the Beaumes village using the Muscat grape for nearly 2000 years. Muscat has been referred to as uva apiana or “grape of the bees" by the Romans. It has been mentioned in the written works of Pliny, the Elder, a Roman author. The wines production was at its zenith during the times of the Roman pontiff, Pope Clement V in the early 14th century, to purvey for the demand from the Popes' Summer Palace in Avignon (Chateauneuf-du-Pape).
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| @Dentelles de Montmirail Mountains. |
The vineyards are situated on the slopes of the Dentelles de Montmirail Mountains, where the soil is rich in limestone with a high proportion of stones to help drainage. The slopes face south and south-east because of which the vines enjoy excellent exposure to sunlight throughout the day and the grapes achieve maximum phenolic ripeness. The grapes are harvested when the grape must has a sugar level of 252 grams per litre or more. The wine is made using the ancestral process of mutage, to produce a Vin doux Naturel. The partly fermented grape must is fortified using a grape spirit which is at a minimum of 95% abv. The finished wine needs to be a minimum of 15 per cent by volume and the minimum required residual sugar is 100 grams/L.
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@Famille Perrin, Muscat Beaumes de Venise.
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Muscat
de Beaumes de Venise is pale gold in colour when young, with delicate floral
notes and undertones of ripe tropical fruits. As it ages, the wine develops a
luscious golden hue and shows more prominent flavours of honey, dried apricot
and raisins. I was lucky enough to taste the Famille Perrin, Muscat Beaumes de Venise when I used to work at Indigo, Colaba. The wine used to be imported in India by Mr. Sanjay Menon sometime ago.
Muscat
de Beaumes de Venise should be served chilled (6° to 8° C). It pairs well with
appetizers like Foie Gras, and warm oysters. While pairing it with cheese,
Muscat and blue-veined cheeses like Roquefort and Stilton are a match made in
heaven. With desserts, it works amazingly well with fruit-based sweet dishes.
Let’s
take a look at some of the producers for Muscat de Beaumes de Venise:
- Famille Perrin Muscat de
Beaumes-de-Venise, Rhone, France
- Paul Jaboulet Aine, Muscat Beaumes de Venise Le Chant des Griolles, Rhone, France
- Domaine des Bernardins, Muscat de Beaumes-de-Venise, Rhone, France
- Delas Freres, Muscat de
Beaumes-de-Venise La Pastourelle, Rhone, France
- M. Chapoutier, Muscat de
Beaumes-de-Venise, Rhone, France
Article
by –
Kevin Rodrigues, Certified Sommelier.
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