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.

 

 

 

 

Grosset Polish Hill Riesling 2011 Clare Valley, South Australia

Grosset Polish Hill Riesling 2011 made by Jeffrey Grosset in the Clare Valley in South Australia. He established his winery in 1981 in the historic township of Auburn, Clare Valley, 100 kilometres north of Adelaide. He is best known for his iconic Rieslings - Polish Hill and Springvale - and he has almost single-handedly been responsible for the renaissance of Clare Valley Riesling.

The Clare Valley is less than a two-hour drive from Adelaide and is considered one of the most picturesque wine regions in South Australia. James Halliday ( Wine Companion ) described the Clare Valley as one of Australia’s most beautiful wine-producing regions where Hills fold in on themselves, streamlets meander and lines of gumtrees are forever twisting through pockets of vineyards and around old stone houses.

Situated in the northern Mt Lofty Ranges, South Australia’s Clare Valley was settled in the late 1830s, with the first vineyards planted and wines produced in the early 1840s. The same features that make the Clare Valley inherently beautiful are also the foundation of Clare’s famed vineyards. The climate features a warm to hot summer where cool afternoon breezes are the key and play a major role in slowing down the ripening process. The altitude and position within the Valley, as well as aspect, lead to considerable variations in individual site climate. The climate is moderately Continental, with cool to cold nights and warm to hot summer days. The rainfall is winter-spring dominant, while relatively low humidity (and summer rainfall) means a low incidence of fungal disease. Hence some of Australia's finest Rieslings are grown in the Clare Valley, but the region also produces many other wine styles, including Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz.

Located at the base of Mount Horrocks, at an elevation of 460 metres, the Polish Hill vineyard is a hard rock site with shallow shale and a crust of clay marl over slate. These thin soils hamper the roots downward development, so the vines struggle. Relatively close-planted (by Australian standards), a modified ballerina. training system provides ideal exposure. The fruit is typically small, in berry and bunch size. Natural composting and hand-tending have been practiced since 1996. Careful vineyard management has helped keep the fruit quality high in this vintage.

All grapes were hand picked and vines hand pruned, shoot thinned and fruit thinned where necessary. Innoculated with neutral yeast  to help maintain focus on natural fruit characters and expression of terroir. Fermentation took place in temperature controlled stainless steel tanks, with neutral yeast at relatively high temperatures (15 - 18°C). There was no skin contact, and only the free-run juice was used. Fermented to dryness <1g/L residual sugar. No fining was necessary.

This wine had a light, quite tight aroma, hovering minerality gave a hint at the quality. On the palate zesty acidity, dry flavours of lime, lemon and pink grapefruit, stunning texture and a fresh long clean finish, this wine was pointed and quite angular and needed time in bottle to knit together completely and produce the great wine it is to become. Available from Majestic Wine at a cost of £25.

Score : 85