Review
Posted in: Wine > Dessert wine
23 / 05 / 2008
De Bortoli’s Noble One is arguably one of the best sticky or dessert wines produced in Australia.
It was first developed in 1980s by Darren De Bortoli with the first successful vintage of Noble One being in 1982. Although the Noble One has changed in style and direction since its creation, it continues to be considered the most famous sweet wine as well as the benchmark of dessert wines in Australia. There wouldn’t be many restaurant menus in Australia that don’t feature the Noble One on their winelist or dessert menu.
The Noble One is a Semillon based dessert wine which is infected with botrytis infected fruit. So what does that mean? Well, botrytis is a mould that infects grapes while still on the vine, rotting on the skin of the grapes and starving the grape of water. By the time the grapes are picked they are much higher in sugar, hence the sweetness of the wine.
The De Bortoli Noble One features quiet prominently in my wine collection, having vintages back to 1996. I began collecting them in 2001 and since then have grabbed a dozen on the release of each vintage. I’m told by the team at De Bortoli’s that the 2005 vintage ran out quicker than usual, so they recently pushed forward the release of the 2006 Noble One.
I found the Noble One 2006 vintage had a much richer intenseness than previous years, but included the classic Noble One characteristics of honey, orange and apricot with the usual sticky sweetness. The Noble one has a long finish which helps pair with fruity desserts such as Christmas pudding, apple tart tain, panna cotta and crème brulee to name just a few.
The fruit was sourced from vineyards in the Riverina, Hunter Valley, and Yarra Valley and was matured in oak. A few years ago the entire vintage of Noble One was sealed with a cork, but for the first time the Noble One 2006 vintage is sealed with a stelvin cap for both domestic and export. The Stelvin cap keeps the oxygen a way from the wine longer than a cork does and prevents the wine from being corked.
The De Bortoli Noble One in the 375ml bottles as well as the standard 750ml as is ready for drinking now, however De Bortoli recommend that this vintage can be cellared for 10-15 years.
For more information visit www.debortoli.com.au
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