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Noble One 2008

Region
Riverina

Appearance
Light golden.

Bouquet
Enticing aromas of citrus including mandarin peel, bitter orange and cumquat, intertwined with honey, stone fruit and sweet vanillin.

Palate
A lush and decadent wine exhibiting a synergy of citrus and stone fruits flavours. Attractive oak and creamy honey undertones combined with well balanced acidity gives a beautiful lingering finish.

Vintage Conditions
The year began with mild temperatures, showers of rain and high humidity, ideal conditions for botrytis but much too early. No further rain until late March and warm days meant the botrytis growth stalled until rain fell after Easter. The early morning dews gave the botrytis the moist conditions required for growth. Harvest began late April and was finished in Early June with each vineyard harvested when optimum percentage of botrytis, sweetness and flavour was achieved.

Winemaking
Fruit is chosen from vineyards that have sourced Noble One over many years. They are chosen for their consistency in achieving a balance of sweetness and botrytis infection which imparts the luscious fruit flavours seen in this wine. Each vineyard is harvested individually and fermented separately in tank which can take up to three months of careful monitoring. Then the wine is clarified, stabilised and portions transferred to oak for maturation.

Wine Analysis
Alc/Vol: 10.0 % pH: 3.45 TA: 9.8 g/L

Cellaring
Long and luscious, perfect to drink now or this wine can be enjoyed and cellared for the next 10-15 years.

Suggested Cuisine
“No single wine is more appealing to cheese than Noble One” - Richard Thomas. Crème Caramel and many fruit based desserts are among other dishes to serve Noble One with as well.

General Characteristics
Sweet Full Bodied

Canada
"Australia’s greatest dessert wine is back. De Bortoli Noble One 2008 Botrytis Semillon is pressed from semillon grapes affected by noble rot (as opposed to bad gray rot) which concentrates sugars and yields an elixir of hedonistic proportions, with mandarin tangerine, apricot jam, and acacia honey elements. Yes, think foie gras or fruit flans to accompany."

Gord Stimmell, The Star, March 2012

"It goes without saying that Noble One is one of the world's great sweet wines with an unrivalled show record. Opulent, sophisticated sweet semillon, marmalade, citrus, apricot and honey all backed up by some racy acidity."

Kerry Skinner, Illawarra Mercury, March 2012

UK
"From one of the most famous aussie wine producer to perhaps the most well known (and best?) sweet white. De Bortoli has been crafting their legendary and decadent 'stickie' for over 25 years now and this latest vintage is definitely no break from the mould. Produced from grapes which have been attacked by this miraculous rot called botrytis which concentrates all the flavour, this decadent yet refined treat is choc-full of apricot, honey, creme caramel flavours that will provide a truly stylish match for apple pie and custard. Or simply enjoy it on its own to really sign off a meal in style."

, Daily Echo (Bournemouth), November 2011

"Weighed down with awards and accolades this is truly an amazing wine. One expects over the top richness and yes it is quite opulent, yet it's all kept in balance with complex and elegant orange blossom / marmalade nuance, tangy citrus acidity providing structure and keeping it all nice and tight, while there's also this beautiful peaches-and-cream fullness to the overall feel of the wine. Indulgent yes, but then hey, why not? It's not everyday you get to drink an Australian icon."

Jon Helmer, Surf Coast Times, November 2011

UK
A classic Australian sticky, De Bortoli's Noble One is, like many of the world's best sweet wines, made from grapes that have been affected by a benign form of fungal disease (botrytis or 'noble' rot), which gives it a distinctly honeyed character. With its exceptionally rich, quince jelly flavours, this is a great match for stilton and fruity desserts.

David Williams, The Observer, November 2011

96 Points
Best Sweet Wine
"Simply a marvellous wine that has delivered so consistently over nearly thirty years, this has deep golden colour in the glass and smells of rich marmalade and dried apricot, with nutty nuances and cumquat rind. The palate's dense yet beautifully balanced, built in layers of texture and rich citrus flavour, yet finishing with impressive balance style. A triumph!"

Nick Stock, Good Wine Guide 2012, October 2011

93 Points
"Long, very luscious and concentrated, with a spicy, almost varnishy bouquet of apricot, peach and honey with undertones of cinnamon, cloves and ginger, a hint of creme caramel and tightly integrated fresh vanilla oak. Unusually oily and viscous - even by the standard of this wine - it's unctuous presence of stonefruit, tangerine and tropical fruits extends with pleasing length, finishing with fresh, zesty acids and a lingering core of flavour."

Jeremy Oliver, The Australian Wine Annual 2012, October 2011

95 Points
"Bright yellow-gold; the vast experience of De Bortoli with this style results in a wine with rich, opulent and sweet fruit balanced by the acidity missing from lesser wines; cumquat, mandarin, honey and vanilla are all part of the package."

James Halliday, Wine Companion 2012, August 2011

5 Gold Stars
92 Points
"Getting more refined each year with orange blossom and intense tropical botrytis aromas with syrupy luscious apricot peach flavours."

Robert Geddes, Australian Wine Vintages 2012, July 2011

94 Points
"A classic Noble One, with balance, finesse, oodles of richness, early complexity, honey, apricot, citrus, opulence, lingering persistence and more."

Ken Gargett, www.spitbucket.com, Courier Mail, June 2011

USA
94 Points
"Medium gold colored, De Bortoli’s 2008 Noble One gives a youthfully mute, moderately intense nose of orange blossom, clover honey, jasmine, apricot preserves and dried pineapple chunks. The palate is incredibly concentrated and sweet (231 grams per liter of residual sugar) with layers of tropical fruit and honeyed flavors well refreshed by very crisp acid and going into a very long finish. Delicious now, it will reward cellaring over the next 2-10 years."

Lisa Perotti-Brown, eRobertParker, May 2011

USA
"Medium gold colored, De Bortoli’s 2008 Noble One gives a youthfully mute, moderately intense nose of orange blossom, clover honey, jasmine, apricot preserves and dried pineapple chunks. The palate is incredibly concentrated and sweet (231 grams per liter of residual sugar) with layers of tropical fruit and honeyed flavors well refreshed by very crisp acid and going into a very long finish. Delicious now, it will reward cellaring over the next 2-10 years and drink to 2022+."

Lisa Perotti-Brown, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, May 2011

95 Points
“De Bortoli does it again, living up to it’s reputation as the country’s most thrilling sweet Semillon. It’s a celebration of dried apricot, honey, toffee, créme brulée and marmalade but really comes into its own in the way it balances its complexity with a fresh, clean, long palate.”

Tyson Stelzer, Wine 100, December 2010

95 Points
“Bright yellow-gold; the vast experience of De Bortoli with this style results in a wine with the rich, opulent and sweet fruit balanced by the acidity missing from lesser wines; cumquat, mandarin, honey and vanilla are all part of the package.”

James Halliday, Wine Companion Newsletter, July 2010

93 Points
“Long, very luscious and concentrated, with a spicy, almost varnishy bouquet of apricot, peach and honey with spicy understones of cinnamon, cloves and ginger, a hint of creme caramel and tightly integrated fresh vanilla oak. Unusually oily and viscous - even by the standard of this wine - it’s unctuous presence of stonefruit, tangerine and tropical fruits extends with pleasing length, finishing with fresh, zesty acids and a lingering core of flavour.”

Jeremy Oliver, The Australian Wine Annual 2010, January 2010