Rutherglen Stickies Better than Port?

[KillerB]

Despite the ridicule that we give out to other countries efforts to use the Port name in vain, we should always look to see what they are up to. Rutherglen is a small area of Victoria that makes the very best Australian fortified wines. The main styles are called Muscat, Tokay and Tawny - don't assume anything from the names. At the bottom end they are fresh and sweet with a chocolatey finish. At the top end they are absolute gems with distinctly Australian characteristics. Hits of chocolate, citrus fruit, spice, coffee, tea and a distinctly rancio mid-palate. I've had several of them since I've been here, including the basic liquer muscat from Stanton and Killeen to a Morris liquer tokay which is only available cellar door - it is absolutely wondrous.

I will be bringing some back and will not be smuggling.

[KillerB]

Well this thread caused a stampede of enthusiasm. Think I will change the thread title to cause a disturbance.

Went to Rutherglen and did a bit of tasting. The stickies are not as popular as the dries which amazed me. However, there were some exceptional things on offer. Went to see Campbells, Stanton and Killeen, Morris, Rutherglen and Pfeiffer. The first three are the big ones and they dominate Rutherglen. They also produce the very best stickies.

I have brought back one each of the following (weight restrictions stopped me from spending too much money, which was fortunate as I am currently skint waiting for invoices to be paid):

Stanton and Killeen Rare Muscat;
Morris Old Premium Liqueur Tokay;
Campbell's Isabella Rare Tokay;
Campbell's Merchant Prince Rare Muscat

The last of which has recently been awarded 100 by Wine Spectator. I think that the Isabella is better so would love to see the score for that.

[RonnieRoots]

I just looked up a TN of what was probably the best Australian sticky I ever tasted (Yalumba over 50 years antique fortified museum release) and noticed it was from Barossa...
But there's no doubt I ever tasted some stickies from Rutherglenn and liked them, I just can't remember.

It is true though that Australia makes some very, very good stickies. Better than port? I don't know, different and great in its own right.

[KillerB]

It is true though that Australia makes some very, very good stickies. Better than port? I don't know, different and great in its own right.

Absolutely right Ronald. I hate the 'better than' idea but it was a deliberate change of title to get a reaction. This stuff needs to be tasted by the people on this forum. It is not Port, never will be, it's Rutherglen and should be marketed as such. Having said that, the quantities are so small that it cannot deliver to a World market. The Merchant Prince is limited to about 500 cases per year - 6000 half-bottles. I was limited to one bottle at the cellar door.

[DRT]

Rutherglen is a small area of Victoria that makes the very best Australian fortified wines.

Correction: Rutherglen is a district within the city of Glasgow and is famous for its consumption of vast quantities of Buckfast Tonic Wine, or "Buckie" as it is widely known. Traditionally, 99% of this consumption happens between noon and 3pm on a Saturday and is best served from the original bottle wrapped in brown paper with a kebab or deep-fried Mars bar in your free hand.

Anywhere else called Rutherglen is fake and should have its own forum.

Oh, and despite what wiki says it's pronounced "Rugg-lin".

[Glenn E.]

I have several Australian stickies in my fridge and I enjoy them. I even have a 21 Years Old Yalumba Antique Tawny Museum Reserve.

But as already stated, they're clearly not Port and are enjoyed for a different purpose. For me, these wines are for dessert only because they're so thick. But they sure are yummy!

[KillerB]

I'm not going to put these things in the fridge, they don't need it. I took a Morris along to a farewell party on Friday and it turned out to be excessively popular, to the extent that a trip to Rutherglen, to buy the cellar-door stuff, looked on for the hosts.

[Roy Hersh]

I have had my share of Australian stickies as well as what they DO CALL, Port.

Additionally, I prefer the Chamber's to the Campbell's products, but that is just me and I do enjoy Campbell's too. Above and beyond most of the the great Rutherglenn juice is the exalted Seppelt Para Port "100 year old" which runs $750-1000 per bottle and is one of the rarest wines in all of Australia and one of the most legendary dessert wines anywhere. Para is the river that runs through it, the Barossa that is. Seppelt also does a very basic Tawny which offers great QPR and is usually $10-15 here in the USA, called Trafford Tawny, but then things get far more interesting like the Seppelt DP 30 Trafford Tawny which is really fine and the big step up to the DP 90 which is legendary in Oz and has won more medals than any other dessert wine in their country, over the past 20 years combined. For those that don't want to experience the Para Port at least once in their lifetime, which is only released after 100 years in wood (my first was the 1899 and 1900 a decade ago); there's the far less expensive but lovely and tasty Seppelt 21 year old Para Liqueur Barossa Valley Tawny, which is a vintage dated version of the same juice destined for the 100 year old program but it's bottled after 21 years instead. Anyway, these are some of the most intense stickies known to Australian port loving connoiseurs and should not be ignored while in country. Smuggling, well, that is another story. The 100 year old Para ... is worth what ever it takes to try at least once, like the 1931 Nacional.