Campbells WineS

Five Generations

The Campbell’s story at Rutherglen began in 1870 and is one of evolution, tenacity and determination, building on the experience of generations past with a dedication to innovation. From the beginning with founder John Campbell leaving the goldfields and heeding the wise words of Rutherglen’s first winegrower who said “Dig gentlemen , dig, but not deeper than the first 6 inches because there is more gold in the first six inches than there is lower down”; to his son David extending the cellars. Then Allen and his wife Isabel in the depression years, diversifying the property and introducing sheep, a move that proved invaluable during the wool boom.

Their sons Colin and Malcolm adding new technology and directions, extending the family vineyards and embracing new technologies.

The excitement of the fifth generation respectful of the past and adding their skills and expertise and dreams until this winery and its wines will in some way be stamped with the skill and personal ideals of every Campbell of Bobbie Burns.

One generation to start the dream, one generation to grow it, one generation to save it, one to expand it, and this generation to build for the future.

Muscats And Topaques

Since the first grapes were harvested in the 1850s, Rutherglen has been recognised for producing fortified wines of unique quality and unsurpassed richness, the Muscats and Topaques of Rutherglen. These unique wines result from a combination of factors – the climate, grape variety, soils, the blending skills of the winemaker and the stocks of these wines reserved by past generations. The region continues to receive international acclaim for the ‘world’s richest wines’ from wine writers, merchants and consumers alike.

Campbells is one of Rutherglen’s original muscat and topaque producers and has developed a ‘house style’ that is complex and elegant, capturing a rich purity of fruit flavours while finishing clean and dry.

The art of making, blending and maturing these wines has been passed down to succeeding generations since Campbells was established in 1870

At Campbells, we use a modified solera system to age our Muscats and Topaques to ensure consistency of quality. There is a solera for each of the classifications of Muscat and Topaque with the ‘rare solera’ containing the wines of four generations of Campbells.

The Campbells Solera

Contrary to popular belief, age is only one factor in determining the quality of Muscat and Topaque. As the quality of classification increases, the number of vintages in the blend and the span of age between the oldest and youngest component wines will generally be greater. The “solera” is an age old method of blending and maturing wines over a period of years to maintain uniformity of quality, age and character. Originating in Jerez de la Frontera, Spain, the word derives from the Spanish “suelo” meaning ground or floor, since the final stage of the solera rests on the floor of the cellar, or on racks a few inches above it. At Campbells, we use a modified solera system to age our Muscats and Topaques to ensure consistency of quality and we have a solera for each of the classifications of Muscat and Topaque. All Campbells Muscats and Topaques are aged in solera systems, many of which contain the wines of four generations of Campbells.

Liquid Gold Classic Rutherglen Topaque

500ML

Deep golden. Rich aromas of cold tealeaf, toffee, honey and citrus. Intense and mouthfilling. Malt and toffee combine with rancio characters providing a wine of power and complexity with a luscious yet clean finish.

95 POINTS

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The solera is a series of up to five stages of casks which may be of varying size and placement. Each stage contains wine at successive stages of maturation. From the final stage, the finished mature wine is drawn for sale, and then each stage is progressively filled from the preceding stage with the youngest wine introduced at the earliest stage. So the wine moves slowly over the years through the casks until it reaches optimum maturity in the final stage. This in effect blends the individuality and variances of different vintages to create our unique and distinctive house style. It is also thought that the aeration and constant movement of the wine aids its development.

The wine introduced at the earliest stage is very carefully selected and allocated to the classifications in October each year from our reserves of young wine. The selection is based on Beaume, flavour and fruit weight according to the classification of the solera. The mature wine from the final stage can only be withdrawn for bottling if it passes the test of a triangular tasting. This is a blind tasting of the previous withdrawal against the current wine proposed for withdrawal. Provided there is no discernible difference in the three wines, a withdrawal can be made. This guarantees consistency of each classification of Muscat and Topaque.

Deep mahogany brown, with olive hues. Lifted toffee, honey and cold tea characters combine to produce the unique character of Rutherglen Topaque. There is a real lusciousness and weight on the palate with full, mellow honeyed flavours, lingering complex rancio characters and drying tannins on the finish to balance the sweetness and prevent it from cloying.

97 POINTS HALLIDAY WINE COMPANION 2023

Deep amber with tawny hues. Rich fresh raisin fruit aromas with great depth and showing some dry ‘aged oak’ characters. Great power and intense fruit with balance and elegance. There is evidence of mellow oak with the luscious lingering finish.

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The ultimate in intensity. Raisined sweetness explodes on the front of the palate. Complex nutty flavours flow through the full length of the palate and the drying tannin finish lingers for many minutes.

99 POINTS HALLIDAY WINE COMPANION 2023