N/V R.L. Buller & Son Premium Fine Victoria Muscat

We don't have a lot of this style wine, so I didn't even bother attempting to do the whole "blind" thing. To keep it fair though, I did make Fran buy it - a trend I hope to continue. Twelve bucks for a half bottle at Costco - not exactly cheap, but a little goes a long way.

Caramel, brown sugar, and raisin on the nose.

Truly outstanding. Incredibly complex, deep, and delicious - raisin, vanilla, dried apricot, nuts, figs, maple syrup, toffee - thick, sugary, syrupy. There's also a distinct old timey sarsaparilla thing - makes me want to break out my widdling set.

The root beer really comes out late on the finish - we're talking a finish that lingers in the minutes.

This might not be for everyone - even those who like dessert wine may find it to be a bit much, but for me - I'm sold.

Score: 93+* (*not blind)

N/V Beaulieu Vineyard BV Muscat de Beaulieu

This was something like $8 for a half bottle – being a dessert wine that's quite a deal so I snagged one.

Ripe peaches on the nose.

Very ripe peach – peach pie filling – overwhelms the palate. This is 18% alcohol but there's not a whole lot of burn – though there is a heavy thickness.

Just more peach on the finish.

After a few days of being open, the nose has faded a bit and the palate his picked up some strange nutty flavors – walnut mainly, I suppose – with honey, peach, apricot, and vanilla.

No depth, but for a cheap dessert wine I don't expect much – no big flaws other than its simplicity. If you like a peachy wine with enough alcohol to knock you on your ass, here you go.

N/V R.L. Buller & Son Premium Fine Muscat Victoria

This was served at Thanksgiving and the rest of the bottle – about half - was given to me to take home as no one else liked it. I'm told it was about $14 for the half bottle.

Alcohol, wood, walnut, and maple syrup on the nose.

Thick, syrupy, sweet, but a bit of acid. Orange rind, maple syrup, raisin, toffee, caramel, nuts – it's sort of like a thicker, sweeter, 10 year Tawny Port.

This has a syrupy raisin finish that lingers for quite some time.

This is very much a dessert wine that I think requires the outside temperature to be below freezing to really be enjoyable. Thick, sweet, viscous, it coats your insides – I'd love this with a bit of ice cream or pie. Fantastic QPR – solid.

2003 Bruno Sorg Muscat d’Alsace

We tend to avoid Alsatian wines...I like them more than Fran and I find some of them absolutely fascinating, but she can’t stand them. I noticed this at the local shop for $13 and I figured it would be interesting since, even if it’s bone dry, I’ve never had a bone dry Muscat, so why not?

Stone fruit on the nose, peaches, and some mineral as well.

The palate has more stone fruit. It’s not bone dry, but it’s certainly not sweet...hovering right on the edge I’d say. A touch, just a touch of honey and perhaps some green apple and even some strawberry. It certainly has a buttery feel, but I'm not sure if this has seen oak or not.

The finish fades quickly...I get some grapey flavors and that’s about it.

I wouldn’t buy it again, but if you are a fan of Muscat I would say it’s an interesting wine to try because you can clearly taste the varietal yet it’s different than any other one I’ve tried. I suppose the best way to put it is that I like this more for academic reasons than pure enjoyment.

2005 Silvan Range Oregon Early Muscat

We had this one at a tasting and snatched it right up at $12 for a 500 ml bottle.

The palate has peaches, pear, honeydew, orange blossom, and honey.

This is a semi-sparkling wine so the bubbles are very soft and mild...they disappear in the glass after around 20 seconds, but they are present on the palate and add a nice bit of very subtle texture which really pushes it to a higher level.

I get a bit of cantaloupe and muskmelon on the finish. Sweet and refreshing, not cloying or syrupy at all.

This is a phenomenal dessert wine....nice and smooth, not too sweet, lots of fruit, some nice floral notes, and overall strongly recommended. A wine I’d buy a case of if I had a cellar. Strongly recommended.

2002 Jean Leon Terrasola Muscat/Parellada

The quest for 100 varietals continues with this blend of 87% Muscat and 13% Parellada. We’ve had tons of Muscats, a varietal we like and that typically has some sweetness in it, but the Parellada is a new one.

I opened this bottle knowing the varietals but not knowing anything else about it (I bought it a while ago and forgot where it was from), on my first sip I thought “hmm, tastes like Spain.” Sure enough....it’s from Spain.

What does “Spain” taste like? Typical words I’d use are funky, strange, and interesting.

The nose is mild, but I get honey.

Being mostly Muscat, this has a lot of those qualities but the Parellada clearly pumped something into it. This is fuller bodied than I’m used to, not terribly sweet, and has plenty of acid. I get a bit of honey on the palate, but it’s mostly orange and floral notes. There’s enough acid to make your mouth water for quite a while on the finish. There's something else that lingers, but I can't place it...floral, almost like chamomile.

It’s not bad, but it’s not something I’d buy again.