91 Mark Squires - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

"The 2011 Muscat “Grand Cru” was tasted from 375ml, to which the price applies. This is all Muscat Blanc Petit Grain, fortified and sweet but not intended to be as sweet as the regular “vin doux” offering. The winery, in fact, says that this is the driest of their fortifieds, with 130 grams per liter of residual sugar as it is allowed to ferment naturally to a certain point before fortification. Just to be clear, though—this is a dessert wine. In its youth, it is sure tasting quite sweet, although that sugary note may blow off a bit with age. It is also quite viscous—and that too may moderate with some time. At the moment, it is a lot sexier than the winery’s restrained description. The combination of acidity and sugar is just perfect. The wine is showing beautifully, fragrant, delicious and well balanced, fresh and flavorful. The winery says that this is meant to drink fresh and young, but there should be no reason why it can’t age a bit. Still, exercise some caution. It is certainly sensational right now. DDrink now-2015. I’ve adored the wines from this co-op in the past—they have a serious touch with Muscat—but this is the best group I’ve seen. You want a lovely dry Muscat? Or a thick, rich dessert wine? They’ve got you covered from top to bottom and at every level in between."