NV Chambers Rosewood Winery Rare Muscat Rutherglen (half bottle)

Dark brown. Powerful aromas of bitter chocolate, prune, fig tart, date, cinnamon toast and maple. Seemingly imploded on the palate-like a rich syrup of candied orchard fruits, nuts, cured meats, licorice and cola. The finish refuses to quit, and I thought I was still tasting it hours later. Or perhaps this stuff just goes straight to the brain's sense-memory bank.

Medium brown. High-toned aromas of marzipan, clove, honey and Madeira-like nut skin. Extraordinary concentration and retention of fruit for a wine so old. As thick as a solid but perked up by a bright citric aspect. Finishes with incredible palate-staining persistence. Take a glass of this elixir in the evening and repeat as necessary.

Dark amber. Toffee, roasted nut, molasses and caramel aromas add depth to bitter orange peel, apricot and roasted cherry. Deep, palate-saturating pit fruit and mocha flavors are complicated by notes of fruitcake, candied fig and burnt sugar, with a marzipan quality gaining power on the back end. A zesty red berry note sneaks in on the finish, adding improbable energy to this deep, sweet black hole of a wine. This seems more like a condiment than a beverage.