France — wine

Muscat de Beaumes-de-Venise

The Rhone Valley's most celebrated fortified wine appellation, producing luscious, golden Muscat Blanc a Petits Grains vins doux naturels (naturally sweet wines, lightly fortified) from steep limestone and clay-limestone terraces below the Dentelles de Montmirail mountains. The wines are France's most aromatic and food-versatile sweet whites — fresh, floral, and irresistibly honeyed without the heaviness of full fortification.

Year Rating Notes
2023 Warm Rhone summer with good acidity retention; exceptional aromatic intensity and freshness in Muscat
2022 Good vintage; typical floral and honeyed character with pleasing freshness
2021 Cooler year; wines show more citrus-bright character than usual, with elegant restraint
2020 Hot season; rich, concentrated Muscat with the classic lychee and orange blossom notes
2019 Benchmark vintage for the appellation; finest Muscat in recent years