We are proud to present our new release Apera in the style of Sweet Sherry as we continue to hone in on our reputation for fantastic fortifieds.
Ron has been making wine for 46 years in the Barossa region. He makes no secret of the fact that fortifieds, particularly so-called ?white ports? are what got him hooked on winemaking in the first place.
The favourable weather conditions during the 2015 harvest allowed the fruit to naturally become raisins on the vine, perfect for making this style of wine. Semillon grapes almost left forgotten in the vineyard were combined with 1/3 ripe Riesling grapes producing juice that had a rich raisin-like flavour which was lightly fortified with 100% grape spirit to retain 9.2?Baume sweetness.
Raisin Apera is reminiscent of a sticky Botrytis style with warm honey toffee characters. The burnished gold colour belies the youthfulness of the wine. An irresistible perfumed scent of candied citrus mixed with raisins and a luscious sweet finish. The Riesling component lifts the nose and lightens the palate.
This sweet sherry style wine compliments lighter wine drinking moments either before or after meals. Serve chilled on hot days or over crushed ice. Also a versatile ingredient in the kitchen in sauces, sorbets and cocktails.?Try preparing a sorbet or poach your favourite seasonal fruit in a little of the diluted wine.
Raisin Apera is a new addition to Liebich?s extensive range of fortified wines at Liebichwein cellar door in Rowland Flat. It comes packaged in 375mL bottles, a handy size for travelling.
Exclusive to Cellar Door and Mailing List customers.
It was exciting to host another sell-out event as part of Barossa Gourmet Weekend. There really are a lot of sweet tooths around!
Over 40 Guests enjoyed an afternoon master class hosted by Ron Liebich and his daughter Briony who took them?behind the scenes of the world of fortified wine. Ron shared his tips for barrel ageing and how different grape varieties develop while Briony led the sensory experience of matching wines to indulgent desserts.
Matching Fortified with Desserts
Briony works as a Sensory Analyst and provided insights into basic taste interactions and why we love sweet flavours. The desserts were prepared by local chef Kate Harbison using as many local ingredients as possible. The most popular pairing was the Semillon and Cr?me Br?l?e.
Here are the wines and desserts served as complementary pairings:
Classic Semillon
Wine:?????????????????????????? Gorgeous burnt toffee, candied nuts and sticky date pudding flavours
Dessert:????????????????????? Honeycomb Cr?me Br?l?e with Blood Orange Marmalade
Classic Frontignac
Wine:?????????????????????????? Irresistible musk perfume and tropical fruits with caramelised flavours
Dessert:????????????????????? Sticky Walnut Tart with Peach Glaze
Classic Muscat
Wine:?????????????????????????? Alluring dried apricots, candied citrus and luscious honey flavours
Dessert:????????????????????? Dark Chocolate & Apricot Roulade
Grand Tawny
Wine:?????????????????????????? Extremely complex spicy fruitcake with a lingering dry, nutty finish.
Dessert:????????????????????? Chocolate Cream Layered Biscotti with Spiced Quince Jelly and Chocolate Glazed Fig
Thanks to everyone who attended and assisted with this true sweet indulgence!
This red blend brings “The Whole Shebang” to the table from the Liebich vineyard.?The first release was so popular that Ron had no choice but to get back to the blending bench.
Ron has spent many hours perfecting this blend of younger and older wines from five varieties all grown on the Liebich property including Merlot, Tempranillo and Pinot Noir. All blending wines were basket-pressed and unfiltered to retain concentrated flavours.
A sensational value non-vintage red blend that won’t last long in anyone’s cellar.
Taste Notes: The nose is full of dark berries with well balanced spicy oak from older blend components. The palate is elegantly smooth and easy drinking with some refreshing sour cherry flavours.
We were excited to be hosting this intimate indulgent treat as part of Barossa Gourmet Weekend.?A?sell-out crowd were taken behind the scenes of the world of fortified wine covering the grape varieties, barrel ageing, food matching and most importantly the sensory experience.
Guests enjoyed an afternoon master class hosted by Ron Liebich and his daughter Briony.
The Tasting
A series of Grenache-based tawnys of different ages were compared to show how varietal flavours and woody flavours integrate and develop into complex liqueur wines. We tasted Ruby Grenache (1 year old), Classic Old Barossa (10 years), 20th Anniversary Tawny (20 years).
Matching Fortified with Desserts
Briony works as a Sensory Analyst and provided insights into basic taste interactions and why we love sweet flavours. The desserts were prepared by local chef Kate Harbison using as many local ingredients as possible. The desserts inspired by French cuisine as Ron and Janet had the privilege of visiting France this year.
Here are the wines and desserts served as complementary pairings:
Pairing #1
Classic Muscat ?- Apricot Frangipane Tart with Jersey cream
Pairing #2
Classic Frontignac ? Wine-spiced poached pear with cinnamon quince glaze
Pairing #3
Classic Semillon ? Cr?me brulee cheesecake with vanilla-infused orange slice
Pairing #4
Grand Tawny ? Choux puffs and port-soaked prune creme anglaise with dark chocolate sauce
Thanks to everyone who attended and assisted with this true sweet indulgence!
