De Bortoli Noble One Botrytis Semillon 2020 375ml (Australia)

Description

Apricot, Sweet, Vanilla

A plush blend of stone fruits such as peach, nectarine and quince, with an intrinsic citrus peel tang and honeyed fruits flavour. Integrated vanilla oak with a velvety lushness and balanced acid gives the wine its length and structure.

This wine can be enjoyed on release but will continue to evolve and develop complexity over the next several decades.

Darren De Bortoli created Noble One at our family winery in 1982, to this day it is still one of the most awarded wines in history. More than four decades after this pioneering Botrytis Semillon took the world by storm, internationally acclaimed Noble One remains the benchmark of Australian ‘Botrytis’ dessert winemaking.

The fruit for this year's Noble One was sourced from a long standing grower of De Bortoli Wines Botrytis and from our own Estate Vineyard. Both vineyards have an enduring history of producing Botrytis Semillon of excellent quality.

A relatively dry winter with late Spring rains, provides moisture for good canopy growth with moderate yield. Rain in January and February, initiated the onset of Botrytis in the vineyards, but with careful management we were able to pause the spread until early March when we received more rain. This then promoted the Botrytis throughout the vineyards with harvest beginning 18th March, our second earliest harvest in the history of Noble One.

The fruit is harvested, crushed and left overnight to release further flavour and sweetness. Following this, pressing the juice is clarified and then fermented in tank. The ferments are carefully monitored until the balance of alcohol, sweetness and acidity is achieved. The ferment is halted, while the wine is clarified, stabilized and then matured in French oak barriques. After 12 months in oak, each parcel is assessed and then blended. The 2020 Noble One was matured in 37% new oak, 33% one and two year old oak and 30% unoaked to provide the fresh fruitfulness to the wine.

Food Pairing: The perfect accomplishment for that decadent plate of cheese and dried fruits or an Almond Sablé. Be bold and try Noble One with a savoury dish such as Smoked Duck or Tempura cod with fermented mushrooms.