Extraordinary age and distinctive varietal composition make Australia’s top fortifieds unique in the world. Tawny, muscat and topaque/muscadelle are all fully deserving of top rankings in our short list of heroes again this year. They hold their status among the greatest wines of all, and for everything they represent, they are arguably the best value too.
The showdown for Fortified of the Year was between the Barossa and Rutherglen. While Rutherglen muscat and topaque/muscadelle rightly dominate our best-of line-up, there is no contender anywhere on the planet for Seppeltsfield’s mighty 100 Year Old. Discover our Fortified Wine of the Year below.
1921 Seppeltsfield 100 Year Old Para Vintage Tawny 1921
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This is beyond your wildest fortified wine dream; a world-class taste experience more than 100 years in the making. Dark walnut, slow moving, rich and ethereal in heavenly scents of Christmas cake, treacle-drenched figs, dried fruit and nuts, butterscotch and chocolate honeycomb. Less obviously sweet than younger Muscats, more obviously complex, velvety and endless. Rare old parcels of aged wines form the basis freshened with younger wines. The vision for the wine, its superlative taste, however, belongs to the blender and time. Bravo! 375ml. – Jeni Port
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Top-rated fortified wine from the 2025 Companion
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All Saints Estate
Museum Muscadelle Non Vintage
Fortified | Rutherglen -
All Saints Estate
Museum Muscat Non Vintage
Fortified | Rutherglen -
Seppeltsfield
100 Year Old Para Vintage Tawny 1924
Fortified | Barossa Valley -
Campbells
Merchant Prince Rare Muscat Non Vintage
Fortified | Rutherglen -
Chambers Rosewood
Rare Muscadelle Non Vintage
Fortified | Rutherglen -
Morris
Old Premium Rare Muscat Non Vintage
Fortified | Rutherglen -
All Saints Estate
Rare Muscat Non Vintage
Fortified | Rutherglen -
Buller Wines
Calliope Rare Topaque Non Vintage
Fortified | Rutherglen -
Campbells
Isabella Rare Topaque Non Vintage
Fortified | Rutherglen -
Morris
Old Premium Rare Tawny Non Vintage
Fortified | Rutherglen -
Morris
Old Premium Rare Topaque Non Vintage
Fortified | Rutherglen -
Seppeltsfield
Para 21 Year Old Tawny 2003
Fortified | Barossa Valley -
All Saints Estate
Rare Muscadelle Non Vintage
Fortified | Rutherglen -
All Saints Estate
Grand Tawny Non Vintage
Fortified | Rutherglen -
All Saints Estate
Grand Muscat Non Vintage
Fortified | Rutherglen -
Buller Wines
Calliope Rare Muscat Non Vintage
Fortified | Rutherglen -
Faber Vineyard
Grand Liqueur Muscat Non Vintage
Fortified | Swan Valley -
McWilliam’s
Hanwood Very Rare Tawny Aged 30 Years Non Vintage
Fortified | Riverina -
Morris
Cellar Reserve Grand Topaque Non Vintage
Fortified | Rutherglen -
Morris
Cellar Reserve Grand Muscat Non Vintage
Fortified | Rutherglen -
Pfeiffer Wines
Rare Topaque Non Vintage
Fortified | Rutherglen -
Pfeiffer Wines
Rare Muscat Non Vintage
Fortified | Rutherglen
*This is an edited extract from the 2022 Halliday Wine Companion, with reviews by Jane Faulkner, James Halliday, Erin Larkin, Tony Love, Ned Goodwin MW, Jeni Port and chief editor Tyson Stelzer.
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