Campbells Bobbie Burns Shiraz 2013

The Campbell family’s production of dessert and fortified wines dates back to the 1870’s. Direct descendants of gold mining pioneers, the fourth generation Campbell family owns and tends the vineyards at Rutherglen in Northeast Victoria. Brothers Malcolm and Colin Campbell have inherited the perfect tradition of making, blending and maturing these special styles. Since the first grapes were harvested at Rutherglen, wine experts from around the world have been consistently overwhelmed by the unique quality and richness of the area’s fortified wines. Today, the Rutherglen symbol on a bottle serves as a seal of authority that it is an authentic Rutherglen wine. Campbells winery is located in Rutherglen, a historical, picturesque town, approximately 93 miles northeast of Melbourne. The vineyard is blessed with a unique climate that is mellow and predictable, which offers plentiful sunshine. In winter and spring, soaking rains provide excellent moisture reserves. In summer months, Rutherglen experiences warm, sunny days and very cool clear nights. The extended, mild, dry fall allows the grapes to achieve slow, even ripening and abundant fruit flavors. Tokay is one of Rutherglen’s best-kept secrets—sweet, luscious, complex and elegant. Each vintage the grapes are left on the vines (20 to 25 years old) to ripen fully until raisined and laden with natural sugar. The resulting wine is blended with previous vintages using a modified Solera method to produce a consistent house style. The final blend contains portions of wine from some vintages more than 30 years old. The deep brilliant, burnished gold Tokay displays toffee, honey and tea leaf characters with mellowed oak on the finish. This unctuous dessert wine was developed by pioneer winemakers who discovered that Muscat produces a wonderful wine when exposed to Rutherglen’s long dry growing season. Each season the grapes are picked from vines (20 to 25 years old) after prolonged ripening to ensure maximum sugar levels and raisin character. The wine is then blended with previous vintages, some more than 30 years old, in the Soleras to maintain a consistent house style. The resulting bright amber Muscat displays intense, fresh raisin fruit flavors with a luscious, mouth-filling finish.