Extremely proud to win Best Fortified in Show at the Barossa Wine Show 2022! Ron has outdone himself picking up a Trophy for Museum Fortified for the third time. Rare Muscat was crowned Best Fortified in Show after patiently sitting for 25 years developing richness and depth of flavour. The ultra-ripe grapes hang on until late in vintage when the berries shrivel and we get the best flavours and natural sweetness.
We really appreciate this win and thank the whole show team, Barossa Wine and trophy sponsor Tarac Technologies. We love the feedback from the judging panel ‘Integrated sweetness, lovely luscious flow set the gold apart’.
Previous years have seen Rare Semillon and Rare Tawny get similar honours in the Best Museum Fortified Classes. These are special limited releases that have taken decades to develop richness, complexity and depth of flavour. We think of them as “liquid gold”. Every time we take a sip, we think of the “angels share”, the wine that evaporates to the heavens during the ageing process.
All entries from around the Barossa region were of such high calibre, we’re proud to be among the same company. Congratulations to all other medal and trophy winners.
Liebichwein results:
Rare 25 Year Old Muscat won Best Fortified in Show
Rare 25 Year Old Fronti won SILVER
Rare 30 Year Old Tawny Grenache won SILVER
To see all other 2022 Barossa Wine Show results click here.
Ron Liebich is celebrating 53 years involved with Barossa vintages either as a vigneron, winemaker, cellar hand, champion grape treader and simply being a Barossa wine legend!
It was 1968 when he graduated from Roseworthy Agricultural College with his Oenology degree. Soon after he had the opportunity to take over from his Uncle “Darkie” Liebich in the winemaking duties and lab analyses at Rovalley Wines which was operated by the wider Liebich family. Since then he’s never looked back. Anyone who’s ever met Ron will know how passionate he is about wine and the local region.
“Ron Liebich walks into Liebichwein’sCellar Door, wearing shorts, tee-shirt and trademark pair of snips clipped to his leather belt.
He’s somewhat chirpy today because this Rowland Flat winemaker/grapegrower has just completed his 54th vintage and he reckons it’s a good one too.
He’d know, his grape-stained hands reveal a lifetime of dedication to an industry that has been part of his bloodline for generations, since his grandfather, Benno Liebich started making wine in 1919.
When Ron speaks to The Barossa Mag, he’s just finished picking Muscat, the last grapes to ripen perfectly in his 12 hectares of vineyard planted with a fruit salad of different varieties.”
Fortified wines have a long history in the Liebich family. We are proud to continue the tradition of carefully ageing different varieties grown on our property. We grow Grenache, Semillon, Muscat, and Red Frontignac grapes especially to produce these styles.
Ron has been patiently curating family museum stocks, which have been maturing in barrel over many decades. There are barrels of all shapes and sizes that evolve and develop over time to reflect the glories of yesteryear. Ron was fortunate to have enough wine from three different varieties to qualify for being called “Rare” meaning an average blend age of 20 years or more. We are aligning our wine names with the fortified classification system as developed by Winemakers of Rutherglen. Australia has a long history of fortified winemaking. Learn more about it in this Wine Australia Fortified Wines
We’re thrilled to share these rare wines with you that have sat patiently for over 25 years. Every time you take a sip, think of the “angels share”, the wine that evaporates to the heavens during the ageing process. These are sensational sipping for a special occasion.
They are available from Liebichwein cellar door and online. All bottles are filled into 200ml bottles that are specially printed with gold ink. They are labelled and sealed with a wax stamp by hand at the winery. These rare indulgent wines are highly limited stocks.
Rare Muscat aged 25 years
Burnt toffee explodes on the syrupy palate and lingers long.
Rare Frontignac aged 25 years – Gold at Barossa Wine Show 2021
Honey and raisins explode on the syrupy palate and lingers long.
Rare Tawny aged 30 years
An exquisite aged Tawny style port capturing the essence of raisins and spices in a syrupy mouthful.
In need of recipe ideas for a platter? Here is a delicious addition to a nibbles platter or cheeseboard for the start or end of a meal. Simply serve this pate with crackers or fresh crusty bread. It will go down a treat with your guests, especially with a glass of wine.
We used our homemade barrel-aged Muscat vinegar and Ben’s Blend bulk fortified wine. You may substitute these for any wine vinegar or Tawny style wine you have at hand. This dish can even be prepared in advance and frozen in small amounts to pull out for last minute entertaining. Suitable for vegetarians and vegans.
There are many helpful articles and creating the perfect party platter, like this one using locally made Wine Stains cheese boards made from recycled wine barrels.
Walnut, Mushroom & Port Pate
Ingredients
1 cup walnuts
1 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion chopped
5 cloves garlic
2 cups sliced mushrooms
½ cup parsely
2 tablespoons chopped rosemary
2 tablespoons wine vinegar
2 tablespoons tawny style port
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
Directions
Toast walnuts in oven or dry frypan over medium heat. Put nuts aside to cool.
Heat olive oil in a frypan. Add onions and garlic and saute until translucent. Add mushrooms and herbs until the mushrooms are cooked.
Add a splash of vinegar and fortified wine (optional).
Let mushroom mixture cool before putting in food processor or blender. Add salt and pepper and pulse mixture.
Press into small containers and chill for a few hours before serving.
This grown-up ice cream sundae combines sweet fortified wine and honey into a delicious syrup that plumps up dried fruit, turning a summery dessert into an extravagance. Use your choice of dried fruit and nuts or whatever you have at hand.
Prep 5 mins Cook 20 mins Makes 6 Difficulty Easy
Ingredients
1/2 cup Fortified Barossa Semillon
1/4 cup honey
1/2 cup raisins
1/4 cup dried figs, sliced
2 tbsp dried currants
1/2 cup toasted pistachios or almonds, finely chopped
6 cups vanilla ice cream
Directions
Heat fortified wine and honey in a small saucepan over low heat for a few minutes.
Stir in dried fruit, cover, and remove from heat. Allow to stand for 20 minutes.
Stir in toasted nuts just prior to serving.
Divide ice cream into serving bowls and pour sauce over the top.
Filling fortified wine straight from the barrel at Liebichwein, Barossa Valley
Fortified wines have a long history in the Barossa Valley which is one of the most historic wine producing regions in Australia. Here at Liebichwein we certainly have a soft spot for fortified styles and love the fact that so many customers have home barrels for that extra touch of luxury at home. We pride ourselves on our extensive range of bulk fortified wines suitable for drinking now or further ageing in your own barrel. There are very few Barossa Valley wineries that offer the range we do for fortified wine lovers to taste, buy or refill containers of fortified wines.
There are six fortified wine styles sold by the litre for customers to taste and choose from. Many fortified wine lovers return with their own container and we sell reusable plastic containers (2, 5, 10, 20 litre). The wine you choose will ultimately depend on your taste preference and whether it is used to season a new keg, as a base wine or for topping up a barrel.
Winemaking
Ron Liebich continually makes large batches of bulk blends to keep up with demand by masterfully blending fresher vintage fortified wines with old museum stocks stored in the depths of the barrel shed. All fortified wines are produced from estate grown grapes left to fully ripen naturally in the vineyard. Ron loves the flavours of different grapes growing on the Liebich property so he makes his blends using four different varieties to produce flavour profiles ranging from aromatic, floral and sweet to spicy and nutty. Grenache, Semillon, Muscat, and Red Frontignac are all perfectly suited to fortified wine styles.
Bulk Fortified Wines
Ruby Grenache – youthful unwooded Tawny is a light fruity style that is recommended to freshen up old syrupy or over-oaked barrel blends. It’s also pretty tasty on its own, a bit like concentrated berry cordial for adults.
Ron’s Blend – smooth youthful Tawny style 2-3 years old, ideal for topping up barrels or freshening over-oaked or excessively aged barrel ports.
Barrel Blend – rich semi-aged tawny with a balance of fruit and hints of woody notes (2/3 Ron’s + 1/3 Ben’s Blend). Only available at cellar door.
Ben’s Blend – mature style aged 5 years with woody notes and spiced dried fruit. Ideal for adding to a newly seasoned barrel or adding complexity to a youthful base blend where more developed characters are preferred.
Semillon – luscious white fortified with raisin and toffee flavours. Light youthful style for drinking now or adding to a barrel blend for sweetness and depth.
Muscat – luscious white fortified with floral and citrus flavours. Light youthful style for drinking now or adding to a barrel blend for sweetness and depth (Muscat Gordo grapes)
Frontignac– luscious fruity wine with aromatic, tropical and musk flavours to add sweetness and depth to a barrel (Red Frontignac grapes).
We invite you to visit cellar door to taste these wines in addition to a wide range of premium bottled fortified wines ranging in age from one to thirty years old. You can sit down and enjoy a fortified tasting experience to compare flavours, impact of barrel ageing and even taste rare museum fortifieds straight from the barrel. These unctuous, syrupy wines are certainly memorable and a sweet treat indeed!
