This year marks the 40th anniversary of the iconic Noble One!
Darren De Bortoli first started experimenting with Semillon in 1981 after finishing his studies at the wine college Roseworthy. Believing that the De Bortoli Bilbul Estate vineyard in the Riverina had ideal conditions to foster Noble Rot, Darren began to trial and pioneered the first vintage of Noble One in 1982. Since then, only two vintages have been missed due to too much rain, in 1989 and 2012.
Darren told us a memorable moment with Noble One:
“One of my favourite Noble One memories from the early days was going to the House of Commons in the UK, walking through the dining room and passing all the statues of the previous prime ministers, we were sitting next to some of the politicians, it was surreal. Being awarded the trophy for Best Sweet Wine in the world at the International Wine and Spirit Awards in 1984 by Madame Odette Pol Roger was wonderful, at the time it was like a dream.”
Noble One has set the benchmark for sweet white wines; it has been awarded over 182 trophies and 505 gold medals globally. What an achievement!
To cement the success of Noble One, in 2009 former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd presented Pope Benedict XVI with a case of Noble One, after hearing the Pope had enjoyed the wine in Australia.
The sweet moments don’t end there, Noble One was also nominated as The Sweet Wine Producer of the Year at the 2021 IWSC Awards, highlighting its recognition on a global scale.
There are some misconceptions that a sweet white wine like Noble One can only be enjoyed with desserts, however there are a variety of food pairings that compliment the wine. Savoury dishes such as Peking duck or freshly sauteed scallops with truffle and pear are a great match with Noble One. This versatility also makes it the perfect drink to be enjoyed on the rocks or used in a cocktail, one of our personal favourites is a Noble Spritz!
Darren explained to us what food he likes to enjoy with Noble One:
“Noble One pairs well with blue cheese, the saltiness of the cheese balances out the natural sweetness of the wine, but my personal favourite is simply enjoying Noble One with some fresh fruit - apples, oranges, pears, the combination is delicious.”
What many don't realise about Noble One is that there is no sugar added into the wine, the sweetness is all natural and comes solely from the grapes, how cool is that!
No matter what the occasion may be, celebrate each and every moment with Noble One.
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