In fact, it is an area Ned knew well. The legendary bushranger and bank robber grew up in the region and worked at Fairfield Vineyard close by. He would be familiar with the fortified - 'liqueur' - wines popular in the late 19th century, and the family wineries that made them. Many wineries are still in the same family and using the same varieties that Ned would have tended; Muscat (usually Brown Muscat, though sometimes Muscat de Frontignan) and Tokay (Muscadelle, now called 'Topaque' as 'Tokay' is no longer permitted).
Morris winery would be a friendly face for Ned. Established in 1859 and with fifth generation winemaker David Morris now at the helm, Ned might not recognize the glass enclosed tasting room housed within the barrel shed, but once past that, decades slip away. The basket presses and open cement fermenters might be familiar. Top reds still go through the 1946 built basket press. The dirt floor, withered rafters, rattling worn roof and dimly lit 500 litre puncheons, some over a hundred years old, reek of history and slowly maturing golden liquid. There is Muscat and Topaque in here beyond twenty years old, David doesn't seem too concerned with technical records, he knows what he wants to create and how each cask among the many can add to the blend. His Rare Muscat is unctuous, burnt mahogany and rich as molasses, fortified with spirit then left in the dark in cask until blended from various vintages between ten and thirty-plus years and bottled (with an average age around 25 years) and rare indeed, probably better than Ned would have known.
Robert Parker has recognized just how good they are, Bullers have two on sale from blends begun in the 1940's which Parker awarded 100 points each, two of only six 100 point wines in Australia at the time. Winemaker David Whyte can't resist tasting with me, "just to see how they are behaving", he smiles.
By the 1870's Campbells Wines was established and five 'Campbells' are still in situ. Unlike Morris' they use a solera system, fortifying the wines according to their quality and baume levels and then alloting them to their permanent soleras, whether for Classic (7-12 years in cask), Grand (13-15 years) or Rare (15 years plus). Their Merchant Prince Muscat is very 'rare' indeed, some 50 years of solera blending rare. You could waterproof a boat keel with it. Winemaker Glen Eberbach is not adverse to technology, new 25,000 litre tanks, a new cross-flow filter, flexicubes, an expensive bottling line and Roussanne, Viognier and Marsanne on the menu, but the importance and sanctity of the fortifieds is at the heart of his winemaking. Glen draws a pipette from solera one and solera two and shows how the difference is revealed in depth, intensity and the fact that the sides of the glass remain tar brown, no 'tears' are visible.
Ned might certainly recognize Chambers Rosewood Winery. It was going strong by the 1860's, well before Ned's legendary demise. Winemaker Stephen is its sixth generation.
His soleras date from the 1890's and 1930's and Stephen says it is the age of the solera and influence of each batch that is key, not the average age of its wines. Some vintages do more for the solera than others, so a 5% addition of a wine might have a 10% effect on the blend.
Increasingly, modern consumers are enjoying the Cabernets, Sangiovese, Marsanne, Shiraz and Chardonnays of the region and especially Durif, a fixture since the 1950's. Even Gouais blanc at Chambers. As Rutherglen stickies are an acquired taste, producers offer a range of varieties like everywhere else.
Sales of fortified wines have suffered in Australia, it is hoped the glory of these wines doesn't disappear; Morris's future looked bleak until Casella stepped in to preserve their continued production. Stephen believes sales of fortified are picking up, though. Try sipping a mahogany hued, liquid caramel and toffee wine made by a great, great, great grandfather amongst the 100 year old casks and the effect is overwhelming. A fifty year old Rutherglen liqueur Muscat has the same effect as Ned's body armour.