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Ratafia

As a whim started by some wild romantic idea of a wine that we had tasted one night in France, we decided to make a wine that we have called Ratafia.

Throughout many of the wine regions of France, this sort of wine can be found. The style of wine is known variously as Ratafia de Bourgogne, sometimes mistelle, or in the case of the Cognac region - Pineau des Charentes.

So in 2003 we racked off a small amount of chardonnay juice before fortifying it with spirit. The wine was then left alone to mature in a new 100 litre barrel for the next eight years.
The Ratafia is a wine with a refined nutty toasty nose, rich with honeyed nuances. Round, soft and very luscious it is a bit of a treat – an indulgence even, at the end of the night. (Although many in France would serve this style as an aperitif, it is more the Australian way to serve it last). Sweet, delicious and something a little different.

The sad news is that we have made this wine just once, and only a single 100-litre barrel – and after bottling into 375ml bottles there were 254 bottles made - Slightly chill before serving.