Noble One 2006 Press Reviews

"The De Bortoli family pioneered the production of high-quality botrytis semillon in Australia, and Noble One just gets better every year. It's a rich, sweet and complex wine with some nice acid on the finish; an Australian benchmark."
Winsor Dobbin, OUTTHERE Magazine, Issue 54 December 2008

92 points
"Baked peach, mineral, butter, vanilla, floral, lime, honey aromas. Rich, round, ripe and concentrated with good acidity and sugar balance. Apricot, hay, nectarine, nutty, honey, orange and cedar flavours. Crisp, elegant finish, perhaps a bit lighter than last vintage. Needs 2-5 years to really shine."
Anthony Gismondi (Canada), www.gismondionwine.com, September 2008

"Since 1982, this has been regarded as Australia's best dessert wine and the inspiration behind the Riverina's push to feature botrytis semillon as the finest achievement of the region. This is dense, powerful, opulent and complex: some cedary notes are still there on the nose while the palate highlights concentrated apricot, lemon rind and marmalade flavours, satiny smoothly viscour before zesty acidity provides a pristine,dry finish of considerable finesse."
Peter Forrestal, Quaff 2009

95 points

"A top-class effort whose lavish, luxuriant expression of concentrated fruit, tightly knit oak and refreshing acidity combine to give it rare shape, structure and vinosity in wines of this style. A luscious, syrupy and soft-cushioned expression of lemon, stonefruit, honey and marmalade moves seamlessly down the palate, finishing with a gentle, but pronounced punctuation and focus."
Jeremy Oliver, The Australian Wine Annual 2009

"This wine is as good as ever, Its bitter orange, ripe cumquat and dried apricot characters will provide you with a true feast for the senses."
Toni Paterson, Australian House And Garden, November 2008

"Sauternes-style, from one of my favourite Australian producers. Squirrel it away and reap the rewards for years to come."
Hamish Martin, Sunday Herald Magazine (UK), 26 October 2008

"A more delicate style of Noble One, the 2006 vintage has plenty of noble barley sugar and tropical fruit flavour with moderate sweetness. Best of all it finishes fresh and long."
Angus Hughson, Courier Mail, 8 October 2008

"One of Australia's great sweet wines, this is soft and luscious, with honeyed notes and refreshing acidity."
Tim Atkin, Guardian (UK), 15 September 2008

"This Australian benchmark has aromas of apricot nectar, marmalade and kumquat that lead onto a luscious, balanced palate."
Sally Gudgeon, Sun Herald, 31 August 2008

"This is Australia's best 'stickie' and a benchmark for the style. Brilliantly complex and luscious with aromas of peach, cumquat, nectarine with an overlay of thick honey. The multi-layered palate is rich and luscious. The sweet, opulent fruit is balanced with a lovely fine acidity."
Ray Jordan, West Australian, 30 August 2008

94 points
“Very intense botrytis characters, with marmalade, peaches and cream and just a little hint of spice; very long and very sweet.”
James Halliday’s Wine Companion 2009


"The grandaddy of Australian botrytised sweet wines remains superb. This latest release shows the usual marmalade, honey, apricot and peach fruit, dressed in subtle French oak, but it's a tad more elegant than usual. Sweet, luscious flavour and fine but lush texture make for a luxurious experience, finishing deliciously long and tangy."
Ralph Kyte-Powell, The Age, 30 July 2008

"Approaching its 25th vintage, De Bortoli's Noble One was the first and is still one of the very best examples of Australian botrytis semillon. It's intensely flavoured with candied fruit and vanilla in abundance."
Australian Gourmet Traveller, July 2008

"De Bortoli have have inspired a legion of imitators but this remains the standout stickie in Australia; a stylish botrytis semillon with intense aromas and a rich, luscious palate oozing with stone fruit and citrus flavours. Great with blue cheese."
Winsor Dobbin, (www.winsordobbin.com.au), 3 July 2008

"Wow, De Bortoli's faithful Noble One might be nudging 25 vintages but this 2006 release is as modern and attractive as you're ever going to find in this country when it comes to rich, botrytis-affected stickies. It really is a very stylish, finely-tuned drop with excellent acidity giving the wine  the balance of a tight-rope walker. It took gold at London's recent International Wine Challenge, and must surely have earned every point."
Mark Smith, Sunday Examiner, 29 June 2008

"A gem from the Riverina whose delicious, concentrated flavours ensure that its standing as Australia's finest dessert wine remains unchallenged."
John Fordham, Food & Wine, Sunday Telegraph, 15 June 2008

97 points
"The Riverina's pioneering botrytis combines finesse and elegance with luscious sweetness. There's a lick of top-drawer oak and the sweet, lush flavour has a long tangy finish. Delicious."
Ralph Kyte-Powell, Sydney Morning Herald, 27 May 2008

Highly Recommended
"A quite restrained Noble One, offering citrus and pineapple together with a well judged touch of oak. The palate is richly sweet, but doesn't cloy."
Winewise, February 2008

Noble One 2005 Press Reviews

"The creation of company head Darren De Bortoli, this is unquestionably Australia's iconic dessert wine - having won a sackful of awards over the past two decades. It's a wonderfully luscious wine with a huge array of flavours on the palate, from orange peel and tart marmalade to spice, treacle and stone fruits. The perfect way to finish a fine meal."
Winsor Dobbin, Travel & Living, 1 July 2008

"De Bortoli Noble One is justifiably a leg-end in the world of 'stickies' and one that has quite literally taken the world by storm. While confessing that my technical knowledge of dessert wines is somewhat deficient - I tend to judge them using such simplistic tests as their 'raisiny' character..."
Peter Byrnes, Proctor, May 2008


94 points
"Golden colour and good botrytis as well as balanced oak and oodles of personality. Opulent, up-front, rich and very sweet, this is full-bodied and concentrated in a very complex, worked, Sauternes style. Terrific stuff."
Huon Hooke, Australian Gourmet Traveller Wine, 1 May 2008

"Noble One had benefited from having a lost a little weight. Less thick and gluey than before, this vintage has flavours of leatherwood honey, the tang of a fine Seville orange marmalade and, most important, it doesn't finish in a sugary wasteland. Try it with a Tarte Tatin."
Greg Duncan Powell, Vogue Entertaining & Travel, 1 May 2008

94 points
"Deep golden in colour, concentrated and complex with a hint of understated oak. It's loaded with flavour that comes over luscious and mouth-filling. Up-front and not very subtle but delish. A small glass is all you need. Now to five years."
Huon Hooke, Sydney Morning Herald, Good Living, 29 January 2008

92 points
"Sweet, rich and deeply honeyed, tasting of soft green fig and cream. Yet this is balanced, with juicy, almost tangy, pineapple and grapefruit notes. A perfect evocation of the Sauternes idea. Delicious already. Drink now through 2016. 4,000 cases made."
Wine Spectator, 03 January 2008

“The Grange of stickies is tasting better than ever. Less unctuous than previous vintages, it’s better for it. There are hints of limes, cumquats, orange rind and leather wood honey and most desserts will benefit from its presence.”
Greg Duncan Powell, Sydney Morning Herald, 19 January 2008

"Extraordinary flavours leap from this golden-tinged, world-acclaimed dessert wine from NSW's Riverina. Made from semillon grapes affected by 'noble rot', it's an ideal partner for soft cheeses and desserts."
Paddy Kendler, Sunday Telegraph, 23 December 2007


"Dad will kill me for drinking this without him. He has a tragically sweet tooth. De Bortoli's Noble One is recognised as Australia's best botrytis semillon. Each vintage seems to become more refined. Orange peel, luscious, sweet, cumquat
flavours, with a hint of volatility and an almost bitter, almond finish."
Fergus McGhie, Canberra Times, 19 December 2007

"I could think of nothing better to pour when the Christmas pudding hits the table next Tuesday. One of the world's great stickies, this new vintage is luscious and tangy and superbly structured with loads of sweet citrus, apricot, peach and tropical fruit flavours"
Kerry Skinner, Grape Expectations, Illawarra Mercury, 19 December 2007

90 points
"De Bortoli has made Noble One into one of Australia’s benchmark dessert wines through consistently strong efforts like the 2005. Scents of vanilla and cinnamon add layers of complexity to the dried apricot and orange marmalade flavors. Medium-bodied and sweet, with a long finish, pair it like you would any fine Sauternes."
Joe Czerwinski, Wine Enthusiast (USA), 15 December 2007

"Rich and luscious with layers of apricot, peach and citrus flavours"
National Liquor News, New Releases, December 2007

"The De Bortoli Noble One from its 2005 vintage is a bright gold with lots of citrussy and stone fruit flavours well enhanced by hits of oak. Peaches, apricots and the citrus flavours are enhanced by oak giving the wine a great intensity of flavours."
Michael Southern, Pittwater Life, December 2007

93 points
"There's a lot more competition to the Noble One throne than there was a few years ago, but with vintages like this. De Borts retains its reign as king of Aussie Botrytis Semillon. This is a fresh, clean and bright Noble One which will age exceedingly well under screwie."
Tyson Stelzer, Wine Business Magazine, November 2007

"There's a lot more competition to the Noble One throne than there was a few years ago, but with vintages like this, De Borts retains its reign as king of Aussie Botrytis Semillon. This is a fresh, clean and bright Noble One which will age exceedingly well under screwie."
Tyson Stelzer, WBM 100, November 2007

92 points 
"De Bortoli does a fine job with its sweet wines. The 2005 Botrytis Semillon "The Noble One" has nearly 70% botrytis infected fruit. It was aged in French oak, 46% new. Medium gold-colored, it offers an enticing nose of orange peel, tangerine, and candied apricots. Balanced with lively acidity, this vibrant wine has a long, pure finish. It can be enjoyed now but will easily evolve for up to a decade. De Bortoli owns estate vineyards in Riverina, Hunter Valley, and Yarra Valley and produces several tiers of dry table wines in addition to their sweet and fortified dessert wines."
Robert Parkers Wine Advocate #173, October 2007 - Reviewed by Dr Jay Miller

91 points
"Medium gold. An exotic collection of honeyed pit and tropical fruit aromas are complemented by vanilla bean, baking spices and sweet butter. Fleshy and round but energetic, with zesty peach and poached pear flavors sharpened by juicy acidity. Finishes clean and long, leaving vanilla and honeyed peach flavors behind. Still young."
Josh Raynolds , Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar ( USA ), July/August 2007

"Not hard to see why this wine has won more than 100 trophies in its show history. This one is richly botrytised. Typical marmalade, apricot and honey with fresh citrus plus a little vanillin creaminess. Very long and persistent with crisp acid to finish."
Ray Jordan, West Australian, 8 September 2007

94 points
"A rich, round, bordering on fleshy, basket of tropical fruit flavours plus a dash of honey: oak totally absorbed: acidity spot-on."
James Halliday, Australian Wine Companion 2008

Noble One 2004 Press Reviews


"This is succulent and unctuous—nectar of the Gods. Darren De Bortoli made the first 'Noble One' in 1982. Fig, raisin and honeyed tree fruit aromas abound in this glorious dessert wine. Full throttle flavours include marmalade, citrus, honey and spice gliding along on a buttery texture. One of Australia's most decorated wines; it rates 'Outstanding' in Langton's Classification. Pair with pan-seared foie gras or crème brûlée."
Victor Harradine, Wine Current, 24 May 2008

"King of the stickies with a swag of Trophies and medals the world over!"
Wine Selectors, January 2008

95 points
“Noble One continues to impress one vintage short of its 25th anniversary. The 2004 has undergone two important changes: the switch to screwcap (for those markets who want it) and the addition of 20 per cent un-oaked juice to the final blend. The result is a new level of aromatics that in a sense has allowed Noble One to trade some mid-palate weight for stunning vibrancy in the mouth. We love the big apricot, botrytised nectarine fruit, the layered spicy, orange marmalade flavours streaked with creamy, smoky, vanilla flecks. The finish is as crisp as ever and clean with plenty of honey, dried apricot, baked apple, melon, grapefruit and butter with a creamy vanilla, toasty fig finish. This should age gracefully for decades under screwcap. Fabulous value.”
Anthony Gismondi, (www.gismondionwine.com) Top 100 for 2007 (Canada), 21 December 2007

"The De Bortoli Noble One Botrytis Semillon 2004 is easily among the best dessert wines in the world. Now under screw-cap (for those markets who want it) it's packed with orange marmalade flavours with creamy, smoky, vanilla flecks. It is a fabulous value that you can hold for decades."
Anthony Gismondi, Vancouver Sun (Canada), 8 December 2007

"The 'Noble One' takes its name from the noble rot. But this is one mould we can wholeheartedly embrace. Noble rot, or Botrytis cinerea, is a naturally occurring fungus that can hit particularly humid vineyards and, when the conditions are right, creates raisined grapes that lead to succulent, concentrated flavours, De Bortoli's Noble One is a classic Botrytis-affected wine, and the 2004 vintage is a delectable, rich golden glassful of sultanas and dried apricot with a nice tangy finish that lingers in the mouth long after it has been swallowed."
James Nevison & Kenji Hodgson, The Province (Canada), 8 November 2007

95 points
“Noble One continues to impress, one vintage short of its 25th anniversary. The 2004 has undergone two important changes: the switch to screwcap (for those markets who want it) and the addition of 20 per cent un-oaked juice to the final blend. The result is a new level of aromatics that in a sense has allowed Noble One to trade its mid palate weight for stunning vibrancy in the mouth. We love the big apricot, botrytized, nectarine fruit and layered spicy, orange marmalade flavours streaked with creamy, smoky, vanilla flecks. The finish is as crisp as ever and clean. This should age gracefully for decades under screwcap. Fabulous value.”
Anthony Gismondi, Wineaccess (www.wineaccess.com), October/November 2007

92 points
"Full gold. Potent apricot, peach, floral honey and toffee aromas display more power than the 2005, with a brisk mineral quality adding energy. Fat, round and sweet but also lively, showing a range of candied pit fruit flavors and impressive depth. Plump, broad and impressively persistent sweet wine, with vanilla and baking spices clinging to the finish. At least as good as the 2005, but showing more power than finesse today."
Josh Raynolds , Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar ( USA ), July/August 2007

"Top off a beautiful dessert with De Bortoli Noble One wine. Enjoy the scents of apricot, nectarine, almond and vanilla, www.debortoli.com.au."
Kye Mackey & Josh Pearce, Luxury Travel, 1 July 2007

93 Points
"Botrytised semillon with a whack of sexy aromatics like butterscotch, cloves, figs, mandarin peel and marmalade, the nuances revealed with every new sniff. On palate, complexities back off to an orange flower honey character and clean finish."
Tony Love, Adelaide Advertiser, 23 May 2007


"The past few vintages of De Bortoli Noble One have been the best ever, a result of Darren De Bortoli's constant finetuning over more than 20 years. Peach, apricot, honey and mandarin peel spring to mind on the delectably intense, luscious nose. A dusting of high-quality oak doesn't intrude beyond a refined seasoning, and the slippery, lush palate has unctuous flavours balanced by brisk acidity. Truly fantastic."
Ralph Kyte-Powell, The Age, 8 May 2007

"De Bortoli's Noble One showed complexity with sweet spice and ripe apricot notes - creamy and viscous but, most importantly, not too sweet. [Peter] Bourne described the 2004 as fantastic; a wine style that has evolved over 20 years, showing a combination of really tight acid and flowing richness. A well-balanced wine, [Andrew] Caillard said, with [Nick] Bulleid praising its oak handling."
Sophie Otton, Gourmet Traveller Wine, Feb/Mar 2007

"This classic Australian dessert wine is worth splashing out on. With layers of flavours, it works with a wide range of desserts."
Winsor Dobbin, Sun Herald, 19 November 2006

"Darren De Bortoli created Noble One in 1982 and after 20 years it is still one of the world's most sought after wines. The 2004 offering is bright golden in colour with apricot, nectarine, citrus and almond aromas. The wine exhibits luscious peach and mandarin characters that finish with zingy citrus and balanced fresh acidity."
Liquor Watch, October 2006

"...De Bortoli, another leading Riverina brand, has consistently won major awards overseas as well, since second-generation Darren De Bortoli unveiled the company's debut dessert wine in the early 1980's. Its occasional scalps have included the Sauternes region's classic Chateau d'Yquem, hailed as the world's finest dessert wine.
De Bortoli has just released its supreme 2004 Noble One, which features a 20 per cent unoaked component which has considerably lifted its vibrancy."
John Fordham, Sunday Telegraph, 17 September 2006

Rating: 95
"Green-gold; intense citrus, cumquat, honey and peach on a long, lingering palate; perfect acidity."
James Halliday's Australian Wine Companion 2007

"Like a citrus-loaded marmalade, this dessert wine is consistently one of Australia's finest examples of the style. The acidity and the sugar sweetness are not so much going blow for blow, but have formed a harmonious marriage. Opposites attract, and blossom. Ageing: five years is plenty."
Ben Canaider, Sydney Morning Herald, 8 August 2006

Noble One 2003 Press Reviews

"Impressive nose with good varietal character and a volatile touch. Impressive, lucious noble sweet palate with notes of fresh apricots and citrus fruits. Long elegant finnish."
Bengt-Göran Kronstam, Allt om Vin Magazine (Sweden), Issue 9 September 2007

93 points
"Australia's best dessert wine is a golden elixir made entirely from botrytis-affected Semillon. This shows intense, yet soft, peach-apricot, honey, toast and mint leaf aromas with a touch of vinyl so common in many late harvest styles. Full bodied, sweet and thick with surprising natural acidity and warm, bitter dried apricot finish. Will age a decade or more."
David Lawrason, Wine Access Magazine (Canada), April/May 2007

94 points
"Deliciously intense; perfect fruit, sugar and acid balance to cumquat, lime and lemon rind and peach fruit; interesting alcohol level. 10.5% alc."
James Halliday's Australian Wine Companion 2007

93 points
"Australia's most famous dessert wine is made only with fully botrytis-affected semillon. Very complex with barrel-aged toffee tucked in behind amazing marmalade, honey, dried apricot and exotic ginger character. Feels thick and viscous but well-embedded natural acidity squeezes the finish to dryness. Excellent to outstanding length. Bookmark this one for the holidays."
David Lawrason, Wine Access (Canada), December 2006/January 2007

"An appropriate foreign choice might be De Bortoli Noble One from Australia, a dead ringer for a French sauternes... Hint: Noble One, though sweet, could also do admirable double duty with liver parfait."
Beppi Crosariol, www.globeandmail.com, 23 December 2006

93 points
"The most famous dessert wine of Australia is a terrific golden elixir made entirely from botrytis-affected semillon grapes grown in several vineyards in the Riverina, home of most of Australia's great 'stickies'. This shows intense yet soft peach-apricot, honey, toast and mint leaf aromas with some vinyl common in many late harvest styles. Full bodied, sweet and thick with surprising acidity (not acidified) and warm, bitter dried apricot finish. Excellent length. Will age a decade or more."
The Lawrason E-Report, www.dionysusbrands.com, 25 November 2006

91 points
"Wine lovers with a sweet tooth must try Australia's most famous Sauternes-style dessert wine, De Bortoli 2003 Noble One Botrytis Semillon. This late harvest sweetie brims with intense beeswax, honeycomb, peach and honeysuckle aromas and long lush apricot flavours."
Gordon Stimmel, Toronto Star (Canada), 25 November 2006


"This is the latest vintage of a popular entry in Vintages and Australia's best-known dessert wine. Made from botrytis-affected Semillon from the extra dry 2002-2003 growing season, this has pungent super-ripe fruit (peach, apricot tart, kumquat). It's quite viscous, but has just enough acidity to keep it on this side of cloying. Drink it now with rich fruit-filled desserts or with baklava or cellar up to ten years."
Rod Phillips. Wine Current - Canada (www.winecurrent.com),  1 October 2006


"A regular in Vintages, and always a popular arrival. Look for rich, honeyed apricot and peach flavours wrapped in a softly viscous texture. A good seam of acidity cuts through the sweetness and makes this a wonderful partner for sweet, fruit-based desserts."
Rod Phillips. Wine Current - Canada (www.winecurrent.com),  30 September 2006

"A great way to finish any evening would be De Bortoli Noble One Botrytis Semillon 2003 with sweet pineapple, apricot and marzipan notes."
Rick Vansickle, Ottawa Sun (Canada), 29 September 2006

92 points
"Copper-orange. Explosive, pure aromas of cling peach, apricot, honeyed orange, caramel, cinnamon and subtle clove. Large-scaled, luscious and mouthfilling, with strong flavors of orange, apricot nectar, vanilla and exotic guava; unctuous and clinging. I'd love to put this up against some top Sauternes."
Josh Raynolds, Stephen Lanzer's International Wine Cellar (USA), July/ August 2006

"One of Australia's most noted dessert wines does not disappoint: It's medium-full in the mouth with warming burnt sugar and meat aromas, which are followed up by apricot, peach and butterscotch flavors and a dry finish. Definitely has a buttery, oily quality to it, through and through. Needs no accompaniment to end a meal well."
Wine Enthusiast, USA, August 2006

"De Bortoli's Noble One is now 21 years old and regularly picks up a swag of gongs - the 2001 was awarded Best Botrytis Wine at the International Wine Challenge in the UK. The current release is almost as good with perhaps less intensity but with a balance of sweetness and acidity that sets an incredibly high benchmark for others."
Jeff Gordon, Melbourne Times, 24 May 2006

"Try 2003 De Bortoli Noble One Botrytis Semillon, the undisputed leader of Australian stickies since its birth in 1982."
Louise Radman, Adelaide Advertiser, 31 May 2006

"Arguably this is Australia's best dessert wine. It really is benchmark stuff and the 2003 is up there. Golden orange in vibrant colour, the wine exudes lusciousness. Its aromas are ripe fruit driven with apricots, honey, orange marmalade and candied fruits - all a complex melding together. The palate is smooth, succulent and well rounded supported by good lively acidity to make for a well balanced wine. Try with crepe suzette."
Paul Ippolito, Wine Talk, May 2006 (www.femail.com.au)

"Doubtless a good sticky is fantastic with dessert at any time of the year, but they absolutely come into their own in winter with the cheese board. A heavily botrytised white wine and a stinky blue cheese makes a fantastic marriage of amazing compatibility. Try De Bortoli Noble One."
Greg Duncan Powell, Australian Good Taste, May 2006

Outstanding
"The key to a first-class sweet white is balance, and this wine has it. It's fresh, doesn't cloy and is very complex, showing citrus peel and vanilla undertones and hints of honey. It delivers luscious sweetness matched to cleansing acidity and is a complete wine. We applaud the move to screwcap."
Winewise, Volume 22, No. 1, April 2006


95 points
"A wonderful sweet white of great power and interest, the first vintage to be screwcapped. Deep yellow colour; buttery, toffee, toasted-nut aromas of rich botrytised fruit coupled with fine oak; searingly intense and very long palate."
Huon Hooke, Gourmet Traveller Wine, April/May 2006

"For more than 20 years, Noble One has been regarded as one of Australia's benchmark dessert wines, winning more than 98 trophies, 320 gold medals and 100 international awards since 1982. Senior White Winemaker Julie Mortlock visited France last year to broaden her understanding of Botrytis styles and learn how to make the Noble One the best it can be. The 2003 Noble One Botrytis Semillon is richly flavoured with typical Botrytis flavours of apricot and soft marmalade flavours combined with citrus and vanillin oak."
Liquor Watch, March 2006

"Incredibly deep nose: three fruits marmalade, subtle oak toast, with pure clean botrytis.  Fat, glacé fruit attack, building super-intense flavours of tangerines, limes and cumquats, with a tingly, toasty finish.  Incredible intensity and knife-edge balance."
Tim White, The Age, Melbourne, 1 March 2006

"Qantas customers will encounter this delicious drop from De Bortoli. It's served regularly in First Class and occasionally in International Business Class. Widely held to be Australia's finest dessert wine, Noble One is best served well-chilled with fruit puddings or, even better, a ripe blue cheese."
The Australian Way, January 2006

96/100
"Three-fruits marmalade and subtle oak toast. Really pure, clean botrytis. Fat, poached glace fruit attack becoming dry and toasty smoky to close. There's a delicious salty twist among the sweetness and then amazing length. Packed with tangerines, limes, kumquats...you name it. Yum. This is the best Noble One ever."
Tim White, Australian Financial Review, 9 December 2005

"Australia's best botrytis wine is De Bortoli Noble One. A noble Semillon grown in the fertile Riverina area...it is decadent liquid gold. It's not cheap ($20-25 for a half bottle) but is pure perfection with créme brulée."
Gerard Connors, Time Off, 30 November 2005

94/100
"Noble One seems to go from strength to strength. Big dried apricot, egg yolk nose with marmalade, spice and smoky honey notes. Rich, round, fresh and fat but lively with good finesse. Lots of dried apricot, peach skin, orange, creamy, spicy, vanilla, honey flavours. Very crisp, warm, marmalade finish. Very agreeable with great fruit."
Tony Gismondi, www.gismondionwine.com November 2005


"Although every region boasts its own champions, De Bortoli’s honey-and-dried-apricot masterpiece, Noble One, is widely - and rightfully - regarded as our greatest sweet white wine. Bringing a half bottle to the next dinner party you attend will ensure repeat invites, but great hosts will splash out on a full bottle for their own soiree."
Max Veenhuyze, Guardian Express (Perth), November 2005

"Australia’s first - and arguably best - botrytis semillon just got better: the 2003 has the same magnificent, luscious butterscotch richness but with more finesse and length."
Max Allen, Australian Gourmet Traveller, October 2005

"This luscious wine is bursting with ripe pears and peaches. It has a texture of unctuous richness. It’s perfect on its own or with fruit-based desserts. 90 / 100"
Natalie MacLean, Nat Decants, Online Newsletter, Canada, 13 October 2005

"Silky, sweet and distinctive for its creamy, spicy fig and honey flavours, hinting at pineapple as the finish persists. 91 / 100"
Wine Spectator, USA, 30 November 2005

"De Bortoli’s Noble One is a dessert wine that consistently achieves high ratings. The 2003 version is lighter in colour than the previous vintage but is just as luscious. Another beautifully made wine, the acidity that follows the
botrytised citrus and apricots on the palate leaves the mouth tingling. If you haven’t tried a botrytis wine, this is the place to start."
Jeff Gordon, Melbourne Times, Wednesday 24 August 2005

Noble One 2002 Press Reviews


"The most famous dessert wine in Australia, made from fully botrytis-affected semillon. Very complex with barrel-aged toffee tucked in behind amazing marmalade, honey, dried apricot and exotic ginger character. Feels thick and viscous but well-embedded natural acidity squeezes the finish to dryness. Excellent to outstanding length. Bookmark this one for the holidays."
David Lawrason, Toronto Life (Canada), 2 October 2006

Highly Recommended
"Quite a deal more advanced than the 2003, but still impressive. The richness and sweetness is combined with smoky, citrus and vanilla characteristics. An excellent match for blue cheese."
Winewise, Volume 22, Vol. 1, April 2006

"This is quite rightly lauded as the greatest dessert wine that Australia produces today. The 2002 vintage was one of the best this country has seen, so the expectations for this wine are high, indeed very high. That's the thing with having a great reputation and being regarded as the best, you can't just ride on the coat-tails of previous vintage successes when you are at the top. You need to stay focused, look around you and refine, develop and even reinvent yourself when required. You need to constantly look at what others are doing, reflect and adapt your style and approach accordingly. De Bortoli are masters at doing this - they aren't ones to rest on their laurels and enjoy the fruits of success. Both winemakers, Darren De Bortoli and Steve Webber are constantly appraising and re-appraising where they are and where they are going and are being increasingly noted and respected for this. This wine is a reflection of that wine creating philosophy. A glorious mid deep yellow, it projects an array of complex aromas of orange, marmalade, intense honey and ripe apricots. It is deeply luscious and seductively intoxicating. A beautifuly balanced wine with just the right amount of acidity not to make it cloying. Its mouthfeel just bursts with a variety of candied fruits, golden honey and apricots - lingering tremendously long, rolling down the throat effortlessly with the only finish, being a call back to the glass saying, send another one down please. An outstanding wine. The deserved reputation remains in tact. Drinking for 10 plus years. Try with crepe suzette with grand marnier sauce."
Paul Ippolito, The Lawyers Weekly, Week 3, April 2006

"An Australian classic, De Bortoli's 2002 is a really good example of their full-on, luscious Sauternes-style wine. There is an extra layer of toast and butterscotch that adds a sumptuous edge to the nose, with unctuous, creamy scents of tropical fruit and honey. A lemony note keeps things sharply focused. On the palate it coats the mouth with thick, full texture and a sweet marmalade quality. There really is magical richness here, with a cut of tangerine acidity giving balance and length. Great stuff."
Tom Cannavan, www.wine-pages.com , UK, 5 December 2005

"Ripe, honeyed and generous with its sweet fig, pineapple and apricot cream aromas and flavours, finishing with a nice tang of acidity and a touch of oak to balance the honey. 90/100"
Wine Spectator, USA 15 October 2005.

"And finally a glass of sweet wine...among the other noble sweet wines of the world is 2002 Noble One definitely the greatest. The nose is powerful and classic, the palate is a delicate, very fresh style. A well made noble sweet wine with a long, lingering finish."
Dagens Nyheter, Daily Newspaper, Sweden, August 2005

"The King of the stickies is unquestionably De Bortoli Noble One which is hailed as the world's best dessert wine after the highly celebrated French Chateau d'Yquem...it has breathtaking richness and light acidity that makes it a regular trophy winner at home and abroad."
Dorian Wild, City Weekly, 12 May 2005.

"This dessert wine has rich apricot and marmalade flavours, and should be sipped slowly as the perfect end to a perfect evening."
Chris Shanahan, Sunday Canberra Times, 20 February 2005

"There is little question the market leader is the De Bortoli Noble One 2002, which is a straight semillon. The fruit is sourced from the botrytis-friendly Griffith area and results in classically sauternes-style wines of enormous complexity and concentration of sweet fruit."
Ray Jordon, West Australian, 3 February 2005

"It’s easy to get bored with the year-in, year-out quality of this one - but, trust me, this one is especially good. Rich, fresh and marmalade-sweet, it’s a hum-ding-ding-dinger."
Campbell Mattinson, Inside Out, March 2005

"The cooler 2002 vintage has produced a more stylish and supple wine whose pungent, honeyed and buttery aromas of quince and cumquat, melon and apricot precede a deeply concentrated, luscious and opulent palate."
Jeremy Oliver, The Top Tastes of 2004, Australian Medicine, 7 February 2005

"Yowza! Unctuous, honeyed and rich, with marmalade, apricot, fig and cream aromas and flavours that finish with an acidity boost that adds excellent balance. Impossible to resist. Ready to drink now and over the next six or seven years."
www.wineskinny.com (USA) December 2004 - January 2005

94 POINTS
"One of the finest and most stylish Noble Ones ever. Great complexity of honey, vanilla and barley-sugar aromas. Sweet and
elegant in the mouth; intense and delicious."
100 Top New Release Wines. Australian Gourmet Traveller Wine Summer 2004 Wines reviewed by Huon Hooke

91/100
"Richly concentrated nectar, with loads of ripe pear and peach aromas."
Vintages Release December 2004. www.nataliemaclean.com

90 points
"Ripe, honeyed and generous with its sweet fig, pineapple and apricot cream aromas and flavors, finishing with a nice tang of acidity and a touch of oak to balance the honey. Drink now through 2010."
Harvey Steiman, Wine Spectator, 15 October 2004

88 points
"This is a safe bet for people who aren’t big on sweeties. It’s balanced and round, and not too cloying. Tastes of apricot and a sweet hint of citrus, like lemon sorbet, and smells like dried pineapple fruit and lemon pudding."
Wine Enthusiast, November 1, 2004

91 points
"A decadent dessert wine with honeysuckle, jasmine, chamomile, clover, peaches and creme caramel aromas. Thick and rich in the mouth with flavours of nectarine, mandarin orange, lime peel, tart mango and ginger spice. A joy to drink!"
The California-Australia Wine Shootout August 2004

"Best of the best"
Max Allen, Inside Out, March 2004

Toronto Star - 92 POINTS - Best Whites
"What were my discoveries? I’m sure you, too, found favourites if you were at the fair, but these really seduced my tastebuds."
Gordon Stimmell, Toronto Star (Canada), 29 September

"Another superb Riverina sweetie, Noble One has true greatness. The 2002 is a lusciously sweet semillon with subtle oak, great depth and a certain elegance."
Ralph Kyte-Powell, Sunday Age, 26 September 2004

"The style of Noble One has been refined over the past 20 years but the quality remains. Lifted aromatics of apricots, peaches and honey lead to a surprisingly lean and tight palate. The almost soft and easy finish is curbed by a gentle grip of oak tannin."
Greg Duncan Powell, Sydney Morning Herald, 28-29 August 2004

"One of the best Noble Ones, the 2002 shows intense honeyed apricot botrytis characters, marmaladey citrus and subtle spicy oak in superb balance. The palate is lush and sweet yet made tangy by zesty balancing acidity."
Ralph Kyte-Powell, The Age Uncorked, Spring 2004

"It’s always good but the past few vintages have shown a promising trend: backing slightly off on sweetness and upping the amount of acid. This release displays the trend beautifully: it’s fresh, tangy, crammed with lime-and-apricot flavour and yet juicy and vigorous on the finish. This is a classic Noble One, as good or better than any previous release. It’s also a rush-out-and-buy-some bargain."
Campbell Mattinson, Winefront Monthly, Edition 23: May 2004

"Choose the incomparable sweet complexity of the De Bortoli Noble One: the latest vintage (2002) is arguably the best vintage ever."
Max Allen, Weekend Australian Magazine, 19 June 2004

"Noble One is an obvious anomaly, by dint of being one of the best white wines made in Australia each year. It is pure in taste, surprisingly light in the mouth and oozing liquid clover honey and sweet apricot flavours. It is brilliantly balanced, defying the description of sticky, erring far more towards the fleshy, medium-bodied style of great sauternes. Drink this with a melting apricot sorbet or peachy puddings."
Joelle Thomson, NZ Herald, 30 June 2004

"The De Bortoli Noble One has been the benchmark Australian sticky for as long as I can remember. Recent vintages are refined, lighter, more delicate wines with better balance and a real ability to gain further complexity with age. Semillon’s distinctive lemon fruit flavours underlie soft marmalade and nougat which flood the palate with luscious, sweet intensity. What separates it from other sweet styles is its clean finish which saves the wine from being too cloying."
Fergus McGuie, Canberra Times, 19 May 2004

"The 2002 vintage is lighter than usual yet the wine retains honey and baked peach flavours, with a touch of orange marmalade on the nose and palate. As well as good length and a crisp finish, it’s 11.5 per cent alcohol."
Kate McIntyre, Inside Out Magazine, June 2004

"Australia makes some excellent dessert wines... the only drawback being that they are too rich and complex for dessert recipes... So it’s a joy to find this iconic version from Darren De Bortoli, its powerful flavours the ideal match for the richness, spiciness and complexity of the wine-poached quince. The Noble One’s aromas are similar to that of a ripe quince, enriched by hints of candied honey and Seville orange marmalade. The palate is equally rich and complex but is cut by the influences of barrel ageing - a hallmark of Noble One, which is modelled on the great Sauternes of Bordeaux."
Peter Bourne, AGT Wine, June/July 2004

"De Bortoli's Noble One is now 21 years old and regularly picks up a swag of gongs - the 2001 was awarded Best Botrytis Wine at the International Wine Challenge in the UK. The current release is almost as good with perhaps less intensity but with a balance of sweetness and acidity that sets an incredibly high benchmark for others."
Jeff Gordon, Melbourne Times, 24 May 2006

"The thing I like about Australia’s best-known dessert wine is that it adapts to the challenge of the times. This, the new vintage of Noble One, is a much fresher and livelier style than earlier vintages, very much reflecting today’s demand for better balanced sweet wines. It’s a good thing, and you can rest assured that this is the best Noble One in years."
Don’t Buy Wine Without Me 2005 - Stuart Gregor

"Deep amber gold colour, a scent of honey laced with apple blossom and tropical fruit, a viscous, sumptuous weight in the mouth (yet just 10 per cent alcohol) and with a clean, crisp finish that thrills."
Ned Halley, Western Daily Express (UK), 27 November 2004

"Australia’s number one sweet wine icon oozes luscious apricot and peach fruit, its honeyed richness crying out for the savoury accompaniment of a creamy blue-veined Saint Agur or Fourne d’Ambert."
Anthony Rose, The Independent (UK), 13 November 2004

"There are few unchallenged champions in the wine world. De Bortoli’s Noble One is one. For full-on honey, apricots and unalloyed stickiness, nothing comes close. Given its amazing concentration, a half bottle is always plenty."
Greg Duncan Powell, Sydney Morning Herald, 28-29 August 2004

"Australia’s most famous botrytised stickie has a track record over more than 20 years. This is lusciously sweet yet not cloying. Stone fruit, citrus peel and rock candy characters are dressed in balanced spicy oak, and it has great texture, finesse and length."
Huon Hooke & Ralph Kyte-Powell, SMH Uncorked, Winter 2004

89 points
"Dark gold, with spicy aromas and flavors, working in some honey and pineapple character before finishing surprisingly tangy. Drink now through 2008."
Harvey Steiman, Wine Spectator, 15 June 2004

"The original (De Bortoli made the first commercial Australian botrytis semillon in 1982) and still the best. It’s an exotic, incredibly complex, swirling mouthful of butterscotch, apricots, honey and cream. Simply marvellous, indulgent stuff."
Max Allen, Inside Out, March 2004

"A lovely complexity of caramels and marmalade on the nose, which shows powerful botrytis characters. There are lingering, mouthfilling toffee and lychee flavours with lovely acid to balance this unctuous palate."
November / December Releases, Winestate, December 2003

"Australia's most famous dessert wine, and arguably the best of it's type in the southern hemisphere. Luscious, viscous, sweet wine, syrupy and satisfying with balancing acidity, and apricot and marmalade aromas and flavours."
Graeme Barrow, The Northern Advocate (New Zealand), October 2003

The sweet wine of the month.
Allt Om Mat, Wine & Food Magazine, Sweden, August 2005.

'A very sweet, richly flavoured créme caramel style with vivid fruit and adequate acidity.'
Richard Bampfield MW, Wine International (UK), January 2005

'The main reason for including Australia’s best sticky in Quaff is that we believe that the 2000 vintage is the best ever. That is since Darren De Bortoli first made this glorious dessert wine in 1982. It is delicately fragrant, opulent with ripe peaches and apricot flavours, a lush texture and a gentle finish. A world-class sticky.'
Quaff 2004, The Best Value Wines In Australia, Max Allen & Peter Forrestal 

95/100
'A rich, full flavoured taste with powerful tangarines and oranges. Considered an Australian classic.'
Good Life Wine Guide, The Courier Mail, 2 December 2003

'Richly old gold in colour, this is truly liquid gold. An intensely sweet and rich nose with glycerol smoothness and luscious peach-syrup fruit on the palate. It is packed with figgy peachy flavours.'
The London International Wine Challenge, September 2003

'A youthful, vibrant wine showing some candied citrus overtones at the moment together with botrytis dustiness and a touch of oak. Richly flavoured, balanced and sweet...'
Winewise, The Consumer's Wine Guide, February 2003

'Noble one has once again been voted by Australian retailers as Best Desert Wine.'
Australian Liquor Industry Awards 2002 

'Our premier dessert wine. Sweet and Luscious; like liquid marmalade with zingy finish.'
Ian Mac Tavish,Top 20 wines of the Year, Super Food Ideas, November 2002

'A more reserved, delicate Noble One whose aromas of orange rind, honey and brioche have background of vanilla oak and a hint of creme caramel. Luscious in texture and intensely flavoured with toasty melon, lemon and orange flavours with a hint of tropical fruit salad, the palate is surprisingly elegant, finishing restrained and savoury.'
Jeremy Oliver's On Wine Report, August 2002

'For the past 20 years, this wine has been unchallenged as the country's best botrytis affected semillon. It's exquisitely rich and powerfully sweet.'
Max Allen Inside Out Magazine, June 2002

'Deeply coloured. A powerful, honeyed nose. Very concentrated fruit on the palate. Evident botrytis. Good structure, complexity and spiced fruit definition. A long, luscious finish.'
International Wine Challenge, 2002 White Wine Results

'It exudes dusty apricot, marmalade and lime jelly scents, and floods sweet, citric,lively, apricot, honey and toffee flavours through the mouth, with just enough bite to keep it straight and pure. Beautiful stuff.'
Divine Food & Wine, August/October 2002

'The undisputed king of the world of stickies since it was first made in 1982. Glowing yellow-gold, with the near-searing intensity of the botrytis balancing the sweetness and producing a layered bouquet of lime marmalade and cumquat. The palate is long and intense, with excellent lemony acidity on the finish.'
James Halliday Halliday's Top 100 The Weekend Australian, December 2001

'This fine wine leads Australia's sweet white stakes for consistency and excellence. The wines of the 1990s have been superb and this vintage is typical; a brilliant gold sheen, richly sweet candied citrus, peach and spice aromas and a long, super-intense, tangy palate that just goes on and on. Goes well with strong cheeses.'
Herald-Sun, 24 February 2002

'There's rich apricot and orange characters on the nose and the palate of this stunning sweet white with intense, concentrated, rich fruit and a crisp, clean finish. Try it now with fruit-based desserts or cellar for several years.'
Mike Frost Courier Mail, 5 September 2001

'Intense, wonderful citrus peel, earth and candied fruit nose. Very sweet and dense palate with good balance and acidity. Long toffee length.'
Around The Tastings UK, December 2001

'As opulent and complex as Riverina botrytis semillon can be without going over the top into mawkish treacle. A star in its class.'
Paddy Kendler Herald Sun, Tuesday 1 May 2001