Rutherglen in north-east Victoria is home to some of the world's most concentrated Muscat fortified wines, and Buller Wines has been making them since 1921.

Expert's Description

Buller Wines Fine Old Muscat is a Fortified Wine from Australia made from Muscat, bottled at 18% ABV.

The wine is a non-vintage solera blend, where Buller Wines' stock of Muscat barrels is blended to preserve a consistent, rich style year after year. The solera has been running for over 20 years, and the average age of the wine in the bottle typically sits at 6-10 years.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Honey, ripe raisins and a hint of caramel and old brandy spirit.

Palate

Rich and full with syrupy raisin flavours, spice and orange peel.

Finish

Long with notes of coffee, chocolate and candied orange.

Serving & Food Pairing

Serve at 12-14°C in a small dessert wine glass. Pairs with blue cheese, chocolate desserts and caramel cake.

Specifications

Name: Fine Old Muscat
Producer/Winery: Buller Wines
Region/Country: Rutherglen, Australia
Grape Variety(ies): Muscat
Vintage: Non-vintage (NV)
ABV: 18%
Size: 75 CL
Vegan: No
Serving Temperature: 12-14°C
Decanting Recommended: No
Glass Type: Dessert Wine Glass
EAN: 9313299000332

Flavour Profile

Rich · Sweet · Syrupy · Spicy

Did You Know?

Rutherglen Muscat is one of Australia's oldest winemaking traditions, and the finest solera blends can contain wine decades old, stored in warm sheds to accelerate concentration.

See our full range of Buller Wines

High above the Douro river, where the air is cooler than down by the water, grow the grapes that give this fortified wine its intense scent of flowers and dried raisins – a different side of Dalva's world than the classic Port.

Expert's Description

Dalva Moscatel Do Douro is a Portuguese fortified wine from the Douro Valley, made from the Moscatel grape and bottled at 17%.

The grapes for this wine grow above 500 metres above sea level on the slopes around Alijó, where cooler nights give them a natural freshness and intense aroma. After harvest the must is fermented, and fermentation is stopped by adding grape spirit – the same method used for Port, only with a different grape and a much lighter, more floral style.

The wine first matures for three years in stainless steel, preserving its fresh, floral character, and then a further two years in oak vats, which add a light, rounded complexity.

Behind the bottle stands Dalva, the brand of the Port house C. da Silva in Vila Nova de Gaia, founded in 1862 and named after Clemente da Silva, who took over the firm in 1933.

Tasting Notes

Nose

The nose is intense and floral, with lavender, lychee and dried raisins, plus a hint of spice.

Palate

The palate is fresh and aromatic, golden in character, with sweetness balanced by a citrus-like edge.

Finish

The finish is fresh and lightly menthol, closing on a citrus note that keeps the wine light despite its sweetness.

Specifications

Name: Dalva Moscatel Do Douro
Winery: Dalva
Region/Country: Douro, Portugal
Type: Fortified Wine (Moscatel)
Grape varieties: Moscatel
ABV: 17%
Size: 75 CL
Ageing: Mixed (stainless steel and oak)
EAN no.: 5603003401017
Serving suggestion: Serve chilled at 8-10°C as an aperitif or with desserts

Flavour Profile

Floral · Aromatic · Fresh · Golden

Did You Know?

Moscatel is one of the world's oldest aromatic grape varieties, and unlike the red grapes behind classic Port, this wine's perfume does not come from the skins but from the grape juice itself – which is why the aroma is so pronounced even before the wine reaches the glass.

See our full range of Dalva

Denmark's first vineyard didn't start with grapes, but with cherries - a tradition that has stayed alive since 1841.

Expert's Description

Kijafa Original is a Cherry Wine from Denmark with an alcohol content of 16%.

In 1841, Councillor of Justice J.J. Jacobsen began making cherry wine at Denmark's first vineyard, and the wine has since been made according to recipes already known at grand Funen manor houses in the 1700s. Kijafa is made from carefully selected cherries that give it a sweet and pleasant bouquet, and has won acclaim around the world.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Sweet and pleasant scent of ripe cherries.

Palate

Full cherry sweetness with a lightly tart undercurrent.

Finish

Long and sweet.

Serving & Food Pairing

Serve chilled at 10-12°C in a small dessert glass. Pairs with desserts, chocolate or alone as a digestif.

Specifications

Name: Kijafa Original
Producer: Kijafa
Region/Country: Funen, Denmark
Type: Cherry Wine
ABV: 16%
Size: 75 CL
Vegan: No
Serving Temperature: 10-12°C
Decanting Recommended: No
Glass Type: Dessert Glass

Flavour Profile

Sweet · Fruity · Full · Classic

Did You Know?

Kijafa is named after the Funen manor houses where the recipe originally came from, and the name has stood as a synonym for Danish cherry wine both at home and abroad since 1841.

See our full range of Kijafa

Twenty years hide inside every glass: a golden-amber Port where fresh fruit has long since transformed into raisins, nuts and warm caramel.

Expert's Description

Pacheca 20 Year Old Tawny Port is a 20-year-old tawny Port from the Douro Valley in Portugal with an alcohol content of 19.5%.

The wine is a blend of several Port vintages that have been allowed to mature in oak casks in the estate's cellars for two decades. The slow, controlled oxidation through the wood gives the characteristic amber colour and draws out toffee, nutty and spiced notes not found in a young, fruit-driven Port.

Behind the bottle stands Quinta da Pacheca, one of the most respected estates in the Douro Valley, located in Cambres in the Lamego district at the heart of the region's first Pombaline demarcation. The estate was among the first in the area to bottle Port under its own name, a practice upheld since the early 1900s.

Tasting Notes

Nose

The nose offers prunes and leather alongside toasted hazelnuts, dried figs, caramel and a fine note of vanilla.

Palate

The palate is smooth and silky, with toasty, oxidative notes leading into dried peach, while a balanced acidity gives a fresh counterpoint to the nuts and caramel.

Finish

The finish is long and sweet, with a dry, faintly bitter nutty edge that rounds the wine off elegantly.

Specifications

Name: Pacheca 20 Year Old Tawny Port
Winery: Quinta da Pacheca
Region/Country: Douro, Portugal
Type: Tawny Port
ABV: 19.5%
Size: 50 CL
Ageing: Oak casks (average age 20 years)
Serving suggestion: Serve at 16-18°C, ideally with hard cheeses or a nut-based dessert

Flavour Profile

Hazelnut · Caramel · Dried Figs · Vanilla

Investment Potential

As an age-stated 20-year-old tawny, this bottle sits above the everyday range and has earned recognition in several international judgings. It suits anyone wanting to add a Port that can be enjoyed now or set aside for a little longer.

Did You Know?

A 20-year-old tawny is rarely the product of a single harvest - the number '20' instead refers to the average age of the many Ports blended together, assembled by the estate's cellar master to hit a very specific flavour profile every time.

See our full range of Quinta da Pacheca

Thirty years in the quiet of oak casks have given this tawny a depth that only time can build. Behind every glass lies a whole Douro landscape of schist, sun and patience.

Expert's Description

Pacheca 30 Year Old Tawny Port is a 30-year-old tawny Port from the Douro Valley in Portugal with an alcohol content of 19.5%.

The wine is a blend of several vintages that have rested for decades in 550-litre oak casks in the estate's cooler cellars. The slow, gradual oxidation through the wood shifts the colour from deep ruby to warm orange and amber, while drawing out sweetness, nuttiness and dried fruit in both aroma and flavour.

Quinta da Pacheca is one of the most respected estates in the Douro Valley and among the first to bottle Port under its own name. The property is first mentioned in a document from April 1738 under the name 'Pacheca', after its then owner Mariana Pacheco Pereira. In 1903 Count José Freire de Serpa Leitão Pimentel took over the estate, and in 1916 he had the granite lagares built where grapes are still foot-trodden today.

Tasting Notes

Nose

The aroma offers balsamic tones and a hint of polished antique wood, alongside raisins, dried figs and a fine caramel sweetness that grows as the wine sits in the glass.

Palate

On the palate the wine is deep and layered, with toasted nuts, dried orange peel and spice, while the mid-palate delivers fig biscuit, dates, burnt caramel and a hint of Christmas cake.

Finish

The finish is long and dries out into a warm nutty note that lingers well after the last sip.

Specifications

Name: Pacheca 30 Year Old Tawny Port
Winery: Quinta da Pacheca
Region/Country: Douro, Portugal
Type: Tawny Port
ABV: 19.5%
Size: 50 CL
Ageing: Oak casks (550-litre casks, average age 30 years)

Flavour Profile

Dried Figs · Toasted Nuts · Caramel · Orange Peel

Investment Potential

As an age-stated 30-year-old tawny, this bottle sits among Quinta da Pacheca's rarer releases and is sought after by collectors of old tawny Ports. The long cask ageing and limited volumes make it a natural addition for anyone building a cellar beyond the everyday range.

Did You Know?

Over thirty years in cask, a tawny gradually loses its red colour in favour of orange and amber hues - meaning you can often guess a tawny's age simply by holding the glass up to the light.

See our full range of Quinta da Pacheca

Four years in cask have given this LBV weight and structure, while the unfiltered bottling keeps everything a filter would otherwise strip away.

Expert's Description

Pacheca Late Bottled Vintage 2017 Unfiltered is an unfiltered LBV Port from the Douro Valley in Portugal with an alcohol content of 19.5%.

After a careful selection of grapes, they are foot-trodden in traditional stone lagares for around three hours, after which the must is fortified. The wine has then rested in 600-litre casks for roughly four years before being bottled unfiltered - a method that retains more colour, tannin and complexity, but also means natural sediment can form in the bottle.

Behind the wine stands Quinta da Pacheca, one of the most respected estates in the Douro Valley, where traditional foot-treading in lagares still takes place alongside modern cellar practices. The 2017 vintage forms part of the estate's regular LBV line, selected to showcase a strong single harvest without requiring the long bottle ageing a vintage Port demands.

Tasting Notes

Nose

The nose is intense, with rockrose flower and a wealth of fresh and dried wild fruits.

Palate

The palate has excellent volume and structure, with firm yet polished tannins that give the wine body without feeling tight.

Finish

The finish is fresh and long, with a persistent berry note that carries the imprint of the unfiltered bottling.

Specifications

Name: Pacheca Late Bottled Vintage 2017 Unfiltered
Winery: Quinta da Pacheca
Region/Country: Douro, Portugal
Type: Late Bottled Vintage Port, unfiltered
ABV: 19.5%
Size: 75 CL
Ageing: Oak casks (600-litre casks, approximately 4 years)
Vintage: 2017
Serving suggestion: Serve at 16-18°C, decanting recommended due to natural sediment

Flavour Profile

Wild Berries · Rockrose · Firm Tannins · Fresh Finish

Did You Know?

Because the wine is unfiltered, a thin layer of sediment can settle at the bottom of the bottle - a completely natural sign that the wine has not been stripped of the particles that otherwise give it extra depth and colour.

See our full range of Quinta da Pacheca

Dark forest berries and a velvety texture - this ruby reserve is the Port that instantly reminds you why the style became a classic the world over.

Expert's Description

Pacheca Ruby Reserve Port is a ruby reserve Port from the Douro Valley in Portugal with an alcohol content of 19.5%.

The wine is a blend of several Ports with an average age of six to seven years, made from classic Douro grapes including Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca and Tinta Barroca. A brief period in wood casks adds rounded tannins and a light oxidative depth without stripping too much of the fresh berry fruit that defines a ruby style.

Behind the bottle stands Quinta da Pacheca, one of the most respected estates in the Douro Valley and among the first to bottle Port under its own name. The estate is documented back to 1738 and has been run since 1903 with a focus on both traditional and experimental grape varieties.

Tasting Notes

Nose

The nose offers a rich array of dark berries such as blackberry, blueberry and plum.

Palate

The palate is full, with a soft, velvety texture carried by firm tannins, while dried fruit and nuts mingle with the fresh berries.

Finish

The finish is warm and fruit-filled, with a lightly spiced close that invites another glass.

Specifications

Name: Pacheca Ruby Reserve Port
Winery: Quinta da Pacheca
Region/Country: Douro, Portugal
Type: Ruby Reserve Port
Grape varieties: Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, Tinta Barroca
ABV: 19.5%
Size: 75 CL
Ageing: Oak casks (average age 6-7 years)
Serving suggestion: Serve lightly chilled at 14-16°C, ideally with dark chocolate or berry desserts

Flavour Profile

Blackberry · Blueberry · Plum · Spice

Did You Know?

A ruby reserve sits stylistically between the youngest ruby Ports and the older, cask-aged tawnies - it has spent a little more time in cask than a basic ruby, yet still retains far more of the fresh, dark berry fruit than a tawny ever will.

See our full range of Quinta da Pacheca

2019 brought a long, dry harvest to the Douro Valley - and the result now waits in the glass: dark, powerful and full of black berry fruit.

Expert's Description

Pacheca Vintage Port 2019 is a vintage Port from the Douro Valley in Portugal with an alcohol content of 19%.

The wine comes exclusively from the 2019 harvest, marked by an unusually long, slow ripening period following a dry winter and spring with little rain for the rest of the season. The grapes are traditionally foot-trodden in lagares, after which the must is fortified with grape spirit, halting fermentation early and preserving much of the natural sweetness.

The wine is made under the direction of Quinta da Pacheca's own winemaker, Maria Serpa Pimentel, and carries the estate's signature style, balancing power with elegance. Quinta da Pacheca is one of the most respected names in the Douro Valley, with winemaking on the property documented back to 1738.

Tasting Notes

Nose

The nose is full and elegant, with complex black fruit, fresh hints of menthol and eucalyptus, and a fine note of violet.

Palate

The palate explodes with wild berries, backed by firm yet elegant tannins that give the wine structure without feeling hard.

Finish

The finish is long and spiced, with a persistent tannic grip that points toward further development for years in bottle.

Specifications

Name: Pacheca Vintage Port 2019
Winery: Quinta da Pacheca
Region/Country: Douro, Portugal
Type: Vintage Port
ABV: 19%
Size: 75 CL
Ageing: Brief cask ageing before bottle maturation
Vintage: 2019
Serving suggestion: Serve at 16-18°C, ideally decanted an hour before serving

Flavour Profile

Black Berries · Violet · Menthol · Spice

Investment Potential

As a classic vintage Port from a single strong harvest, this bottle has natural ageing potential over many years and belongs to the category collectors typically set aside. Several critics single out 2019 as a vintage with good concentration, adding to its appeal among connoisseurs.

Did You Know?

Unlike most other Port styles, a vintage Port is only cask-aged for a short time, typically two years, before bottling - all the further maturation and complexity it develops over decades therefore happens in the bottle itself, not in cask.

See our full range of Quinta da Pacheca

Vecchio Florio Marsala Superiore 2020 is a classic Italian fortified wine from Sicily, made in the traditional Marsala style with a focus on depth, sweetness and elegance.

Expert's Description

Vecchio Florio Marsala Superiore 2020 is a Fortified Wine from Sicily, Italy, with an alcohol content of 18%. The Florio family founded their winery in 1833 and has since made Marsala one of Sicily's most famous products. This "Superiore" edition is aged for at least two years in oak, giving the wine a rich and rounded character. The palate is concentrated and harmonious, with a pleasant sweetness balanced by a lightly salted, wine-like undertone - a hallmark of quality Marsala.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Dried fruit, caramel, nuts and a hint of vanilla from the oak ageing on the nose.

Palate

Sweet, warm and full-bodied on the palate with concentrated, harmonious character.

Finish

The finish is lightly salted with a wine-like undertone.

Serving & Food Pairing

Serve at 12-14°C in a fortified wine glass. Ideal for desserts, especially tiramisu, panna cotta and almond cakes, as well as mature cheeses - it also works excellently in classic Italian recipes like Chicken Marsala.

Specifications

Name: Marsala Superiore
Producer/Winery: Vecchio Florio
Region/Country: Marsala, Sicily, Italy
Appellation/Classification: Marsala Superiore DOC
Vintage: 2020
ABV: 18%
Size: 75 CL
Oak-aged: At least 2 years in oak
Serving temperature: 12-14°C
Decanting recommended: No
Glass type: Fortified wine glass

Flavour Profile

Sweet · Full-bodied · Caramel · Nutty

Did You Know?

The Florio family was behind the legendary Targa Florio motor race from 1906, which brought international attention to the family's Marsala and made the Florio name known far beyond Sicily's borders.

See our full range of Vecchio Florio

Vecchio Florio Marsala Dry is a classic, dry Marsala with roots dating back to 1833, when the Florio family founded their winery in Sicily.

Expert's Description

Vecchio Florio Marsala Dry Superiore is a Fortified Wine from Sicily, Italy, with an alcohol content of 18%. Here the Florio family began producing the iconic, oxidised fortified wine that has since become one of the island's most famous products and a natural alternative to both sherry and Madeira. The Florio name became further known in the 1900s, when the family was behind the legendary Targa Florio motor race, which brought both prestige and international attention to the Marsala.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Full and aromatic on the nose with notes of nuts, prunes, vanilla and dried fruit - classic hallmarks of a well-aged Marsala.

Palate

Harmonious and elegant on the palate with a dry, nutty profile and lightly spiced undertones, even though the aromas can seem sweet.

Finish

The finish is rounded and warm.

Serving & Food Pairing

Serve at 12-14°C in a fortified wine glass. Can be enjoyed on its own, used in cooking or served with mature cheeses and desserts with nuts and dried fruit.

Specifications

Name: Marsala Dry Superiore
Producer/Winery: Vecchio Florio
Region/Country: Marsala, Sicily, Italy
Appellation/Classification: Marsala Superiore DOC
ABV: 18%
Size: 75 CL
Serving temperature: 12-14°C
Decanting recommended: No
Glass type: Fortified wine glass
EAN no.: 8004730000950

Flavour Profile

Dry · Nutty · Oxidative · Spiced

Did You Know?

The Florio family was behind the legendary Targa Florio motor race, which from 1906 ran through the mountains of Sicily and became one of the world's oldest and most prestigious motor races - a success that simultaneously brought international attention to the family's Marsala.

See our full range of Vecchio Florio