Noble One (2003)

Region  Riverina, NSW.

Appearance  Light gold in colour.

Bouquet  Apricot, orange, kumquat and citrus aromas with vanillin oak.

Palate  A richly flavoured wine with typical botrytis flavours of apricot and soft marmalade flavours combined with citrus and hints of vanillin oak.  A long and luscious finish is enhanced by a refreshing acidity and beautifully integrated oak adding complexity and length.

Vintage Conditions  Heavy rains in late February followed by moist mornings in early March allowed the onset of the botrytis infection.  But no further rain and warm days during the remainder of March and most of April meant that the infection remained dormant.  In late April there were a few showers of rain and in the following weeks some fogs were experienced, which provided additional moisture in the vineyards, which then allowed better conditions for the infection to progress.  The grapes were harvested in mid May with a moderate to good infection across all vineyards.

Winemaking  Parcels of fruit from selected vineyards are assessed regularly to determine the harvest time based on the sugar level and the degree of botrytis infection.  Each vineyard is harvested, fermented and matured separately to maximise the blending options.  After fermentation the wines are clarified, stabilised and filtered prior to being transferred to oak for those parcels with oak maturation or tank for the unoaked parcels.

Maturation  The wine was matured in 18% new oak, 35% one year old and 32% two year old French Oak with the remaining 15% unoaked.

Wine Analysis   Alc/Vol : 10.0 %   pH : 3.35   TA : 11.0 g/L              

Cellaring   A wine that can be enjoyed now and for the next 10 - 15 years also.

Suggested Cuisine  Desserts that are not too sweet such as baked cheesecake, almond tarte or enjoy with a platter of dried fruits, nuts and cheese.

General Characteristics  
Sweet  Medium Bodied