De Bortoli Noble One 2008 Riverina Australia

De Bortoli Noble One 2008 from Riverina in New South Wales, Australia, a real 'sweetie', produced in a difficult year, it is complex with the Botrytic notes (see below) controlling the aroma palate. On the nose, honeyed marmalade with pithy lemon thrown into the mix, above all it smells rich and fresh.
On the palate, honeyed and sweet, nearly luscious, with citric notes across the board, a smatter of ginger and marmalade, a really long finish after that fresh zesty start. This is a wine to be savoured, it is complex and inticing, and at 10% abv - one feels that it is not such a sin to indulge. This would be great with some puddings - but adorable with cheese!
The vintage was a difficult one that started well with warm wet weather, but then dry warm conditions took over not to return to the wet conditions that the Botrytis likes until March with the harvest started in April and finished in June - the brave were strong and left the grapes to mature on the vine.


Botrytis Cinerea is a fungus that can infect grapes in the correct conditions, good rot is called Noble rot - the desired one ( the bad one - grey rot results in wiping out the harvest), there are areas in the world that this can happen naturally and one of these is the area around Sauternes and Barsac in Bordeaux left bank.The Aszu wines of Tokaji wines are also produced having been affected by Botrytis Cinerea. It needs a temperate climate and ideally early morning mists ( off cool water) and sun later in the day so the grapes are kept dry in those autumn afternoons. Not all grapes will be affected, and some may take longer to mature which is why several pickings - called 'tries'- are needed to get all the grapes at thier ideal condition.
The fungus affects the skins and feeds off sugars in the grape itself, but also uses about 50% of its water contained in the grape, so overall the grapes sugar concentration increases! Additionally acids are also consumed ( 5/6ths of the Tartaric acid in the grape is consumed). By products that are produced include glycerine ( the chemical which makes the wine feel viscous), acetic acidand a selection of enzymes. Phenolics of from the skins are also consumed so reducing the tannic structure.
Due to the reduction in water content of the grape the juice produced from Noble Rot infected grapes is low - often in the range of 15 hl/ha.
This wine is available from many retailers including Majestic at £20 or Ocado at £16.99 for a half bottle.
Score : 92

De Bortoli - how they started.
De Bortoli Wines is a third generation family wine company established by Vittorio and Giuseppina De Bortoli in 1928. The couple emigrated to Australia from Northern Italy, from mountain villages at the foothills of the Italian Alps, near the historic town of Asolo.

Their son, Deen De Bortoli, (b 1936 – d 2003) expanded and consolidated the business created by his parents. Deen's children continue De Bortoli's winemaking including icon dessert wine Noble One and the Yarra Valley wines.

This wine has been much feted with awards galore.