Every barrel loses wine over time. It's the angel's share at work, the slow evaporation through the oak staves that is also the mechanism behind great fortified wine. When you top up, you're not just replacing lost volume. You're making a blending decision. The wine you add will influence the character, age, and direction of everything already in your barrel.
Getting it right matters. Here's how to think about it.
Start with style: match the base of your barrel
The first rule of topping up is to stay within your style. If your barrel is Muscat-based, top with Muscat. If it's Topaque, top with Topaque. Crossing styles is possible in small amounts for experienced blenders, but as a general rule you want your topping wine to reinforce what's already there rather than pull it in a different direction.
The one exception is White Fortified, which shares the same Muscadelle base as Topaque and can be blended with any of the Topaque tiers to create a lighter, drier style with honeysuckle and butterscotch characters.
Then think about age: where is your barrel right now?
This is the question most barrel owners don't ask often enough, and it's the one that matters most.
The age and complexity of your topping wine should roughly match the stage your barrel is at. Add wine that's too young to a mature barrel and you risk diluting the aged characters you've spent years building. Add wine that's too old and rich to a young barrel and you can push it out of balance.
A simple way to think about it: topping wine should support your barrel's current direction, not fight against it.
The full topping wine range
Muscat
Rutherglen Muscat is our most popular style, and for good reason. Rich, luscious, and deeply aromatic, it develops from bright, floral freshness in younger material into Christmas pudding, chocolate, and rancio complexity with age.
Standard Muscat — $17 per litre | 2–3 years old Young, fresh, and floral with rose petal aromatics and fresh raisin notes. The right choice if your barrel is in its early years and you want to build fruit brightness and aromatics. Also excellent for refreshing an older barrel without adding too much weight.
Premium Muscat — $20 per litre | 3–4 years old Richer and more complex, with dried fig, rose petal, and a touch of cumquat acidity. Our most popular topping choice across the range. It sits in a sweet spot between freshness and depth, and suits most barrels at most stages.
Deluxe Muscat — $23 per litre | 4–5 years old Luscious and viscous, with warmth and fruit depth. A good choice for newer barrels that want a head start, or mature barrels that need freshening without losing age.
Topaque
Where Muscat is raisins and roses, Topaque is citrus, honey toast, and malt. It's generally more savoury and lighter in style, and it suits barrel owners who prefer a drier, more structured fortified.
Standard Topaque — $17 per litre | 2–3 years old Light and fresh with quince jelly, cumquat, and caramelised butter. A terrific base product that matures beautifully over time.
Premium Topaque — $20 per litre | 3–4 years old Amber, fragrant, with dried apricots and honey toast. More depth and layers than the Standard, and blends beautifully 50/50 with White Fortified for a lighter honeysuckle and butterscotch style.
Deluxe Topaque — $23 per litre | 4–5 years old Dark amber with barley sugar, butterscotch, and intense malt. The richest of the three tiers and the right choice if you want a head start on a new barrel or need to add weight to an established one.
White Fortified
Standard White Fortified — $17 per litre | 2–3 years old A blend of Muscadelle, Chardonnay, and Viognier with honeysuckle, bottlebrush, and walnuts. Light, fresh, and versatile. Use it to give your blend a floral, aromatic lift, or blend with any Topaque tier for a drier, more delicate style.
Tawny
For red-based barrels, our Tawny range runs from fresh and fruit-forward through to rich, savoury, and spice-driven.
Standard Barrel Blend — $17 per litre | 2–3 years old Young, fresh, with cherry and star anise. Ideal for building primary fruit in a newer barrel, or adding a dose of fruit sweetness to an older blend that's become a little acidic or tight.
Premium Tawny — $20 per litre | 3–4 years old A mature blend of Shiraz and Portuguese varieties with rich plum fruit and subtle oak. The right choice if you want a more traditional tawny port style with some age and structure.
Deluxe Tawny — $23 per litre | 4–5 years old Aged and deeper in character, with more prominent spice and dried fruit complexity. A good step up for barrels that have moved beyond the early stages and need something with more weight and development behind it.
When your barrel is ready for something more: Specialty Blends
Standard, Premium, and Deluxe are brilliant building blocks, especially in the early years. But once your barrel reaches a certain age and character, it often needs older, more complex material to keep progressing.
That's where Liquid Luxury Specialty Blends come in. These are curated parcels of older, more distinctive fortified wines chosen specifically for barrel owners who want to take their blend further. They bring extra age, extra detail, and extra complexity, and they give you the ability to add aged character in smaller, more intentional amounts without overwhelming what's already there.
Specialty Muscat
2019 Jack's Block Muscat — $82 for 2L | $204 for 5L Single vintage, single best-block. Floral and distinctive. A beautiful addition for barrel owners who want to mark a specific year in their blend.
2021 Jack's Block Muscat — $82 for 2L | $204 for 5L The same single block, different vintage expression.
Members Reserve Muscat — $102 for 2L | $254 for 5L | 7 years old Fresh, vibrant, and layered. An excellent step up from Deluxe for barrels that are developing well and need older material to keep moving forward.
Winemakers Reserve Muscat — $112 for 2L | $279 for 5L | 8 years old Luscious and smooth with raisin and fig. For barrels with real age and complexity that need material to match.
Club Classic Muscat — $122 for 2L | $304 for 5L | 12 years old Complex, with Christmas pudding and fruitcake. This is the choice when your barrel has matured into serious territory and needs older parcels to keep it there.
2006 Solera Reserve Muscat — $232 for 2L | $575 for 5L | 20 years old Coffee, cocoa, burnt toffee. Our oldest and most complex Muscat, built from a solera that dates back to 2006. For barrels of significant age that deserve material to match.
Specialty Topaque
Members Reserve Topaque — $102 for 2L | $254 for 5L | 7 years old Fresh, vibrant, and layered. The right step up for a Topaque barrel that's ready for older material.
Winemakers Reserve Topaque — $112 for 2L | $279 for 5L | 8 years old Canned apricots and sticky toffee. Rich and detailed, for established Topaque barrels with some age behind them.
Club Classic Topaque — $122 for 2L | $304 for 5L | 12 years old Butter toast, malt, and almonds. Serious complexity for a barrel that's earned it.
Specialty Tawny
Club Classic Tawny — $122 for 2L | $304 for 5L | 12 years old Complex, with Christmas pudding and fruitcake characters. For red-based barrels that are developing depth and need older material to match.
Grand Reserve Tawny — $342 for 2L | 25+ years old Rancio, cloves, and cigar-box. Our most aged Tawny. For barrels of real distinction that want something extraordinary added in small amounts.
Always run a bench trial first
Before you add anything to your barrel, pull a sample and trial your topping wine on the bench first. Mix different ratios in a glass, taste, adjust, and taste again. Once wine goes into your barrel you can't undo it, but a bench trial takes ten minutes and costs nothing. It's the single best habit you can build as a barrel owner, and it's exactly how we approach blending at Stanton & Killeen. If you'd like to learn more about bench trials at home please read through our complete guide.
If you're unsure which direction to take your barrel, our barrel analysis service gives you a full picture of where your wine stands and a personalised recommendation on what to add and how much.
Not sure where to start?
Every barrel is different. Age, storage conditions, topping history, and personal taste all play a role. If you'd like a clear plan tailored to your barrel, book a blending consultation with our winemaker, either in person at the Stanton & Killeen winery or online via Zoom. For Zoom consultations you'll need to send a sample ahead of your appointment so the advice is accurate and specific to your wine.
Frequently asked questions
Can I mix styles when topping up?
As a general rule, stay within your style. Crossing between Muscat and Topaque in small amounts is possible for experienced blenders, but it's not something we'd recommend without running a bench trial first. White Fortified is the exception: it shares a base variety with Topaque and blends well across the Topaque range.
How much topping wine do I need?
This depends on how much your barrel has lost to evaporation. Check your level with a dipstick and top up to the bung hole. For guidance on typical evaporation rates by barrel size, our guide to the angel's share and evaporation covers it in detail.
Is it better to add a little Specialty Blend or a larger amount of Standard?
For a mature barrel, a smaller addition of older material is often more effective than a larger addition of something younger. The Specialty Blends are designed to be used in more intentional amounts. Start conservatively, run a bench trial, and build from there.
How often should I top up?
As a rule of thumb, top up before your barrel drops below three-quarter full. For smaller barrels in warm conditions that might be every couple of months over summer. For larger barrels in stable conditions, every six to twelve months may be sufficient. Our guide to ullage explains what to watch for.
