Ever wondered how that bottle of Noble One you’ve stashed away might age? And how does the wine once labelled De Bortoli Sauternes stack up with the real McCoy, Sauternes from Bordeaux? Now’s your chance to find out.
Third generation winemaker Darren De Bortoli presented this fascinating vertical tasting of Noble One, together with a comparison with leading Sauternes, in celebration of the 25th anniversary of Noble One, Australia’s most famous dessert wine.
Early days
During Darren’s time at Roseworthy, the wine college experimented with the artificial inoculation of botrytis, so-called “noble rot,” that concentrates sugar and acid, making the world’s best sweet wines. It was generally thought that Australia was too hot and dry for botrytis naturally to occur. However, smitten by Chateau Coutet 1975 Sauternes and aware that McWilliams had successfully made a botrytised Pedro Ximinez in 1958 (which Darren says is “still looking wonderful”), Darren was not to be deterred.
In 1981, fresh out of Roseworthy, Darren played around with some Pedro Ximinez himself. Very thin-skinned, it has good susceptibility to botrytis but, although there was good onset of botrytis after a rain spell, it was then “lost” in dry, sunny conditions.
Success
So the following year, Darren instead experimented with the slightly thicker skinned Semillon. He discovered that the trick was to keep the grapes pristine throughout the hot and dry summer until April when humidity rises and the conditions for botrytis are perfect.
He has found that botrytis infection (affecting anything from 70-100% of the grapes) normally arrives in late April or early May, sometimes June and, once, as late as July! According to Darren, you need 10 hours of humidity to get botrytis and, in 1 in 3 years, the botrytis is exceptionally good but conversely, in 1 in 3 years (e.g. 1986), drought years, it’s a struggle.
Apart from the very (atypically) wet 1989 vintage, Noble One (labelled Sauternes until 1990) has been made in every year since 1982. Save for 1983 (which included some Sauvignon Blanc), it has always been 100% Semillon.
Stylistic evolution
Inevitably, over 25 years, a number of stylistic changes have been made notably:
- Later vintages have been picked earlier at around 22 baume (baume is the measure of the sugar concentration in juice), resulting in a relatively low alcohol by volume of c. 10%. (Earlier vintages were picked riper at around 24 baume, giving an abv of c. 12.5%).
- Up until 1990, wines were matured in coarse-grained French oak puncheons produced in Australia, which gave plenty of oak character but leaked! With effect from the 1990 vintage, tight-grained Seguin Moreau (as used by Ch. d’Yquem) has been used.
- Originally wines were aged in new oak but now a combination of new and older oak is used and, since 2000, a component that has seen no oak at all is back-blended in the interests of achieving the desired (fresher, more elegant) style.
A characteristic which remains unchanged is Noble One’s high volatile acidity (up to 1.4, 1.5 g/l). Though 1g/l of volatile acidity would render a normal table wine undrinkable, Darren explained that, though it’s almost un-Australian, he’s not so interested in technically pure wines. Rather the wine’s volatile acidity, (a by-product of yeasts trying to ferment juices at very high sugar levels rather than unsound grapes), is a complexing factor which finds balance in Noble One’s power and concentration.
The Noble One tasting
1982 – the maiden vintage with ideal conditions for noble rot infection. A deep, bright amber core with a yellow rim. The nose shows a spicy marmalade/orange peel character with a barley sugar twist. Quite warm, with flavours of barley sugar, apricot and buttery bruléed apple tart. Good acidity still, with texture/tannin and a spicy marmalade finish; on a plateau. 129g/l residual sugar/12% abv.
1984 – a powerful vintage from one of the best botrytis years ever seen (which accelerated from a light infection to 100% botrytis in a few days). The botrytis is marked by a glorious fresher, honeyed nose with saffron hints and that bruléed apple/tarte tatin character. There’s also a hint of buttermint on nose and a palate which is wow, very tight with superb concentration and depth of flavour (pithy, spicy marmalade). Very long and focused – still good ageing potential. Exceptional. 121g/l residual sugar/13.6% abv
1985 – a relatively wet year, though Darren took the view they should proceed because “I’m sure the French were making wines from grapes in worse condition!” He pointed out that this wine didn’t have the typical brown furry mould but rather a black sooty mould. Deep amber in colour it showed a well developed, spicy tarte tatin brulee character with fleshier and a bit woollier apricots cut with slightly angular acidity. Although there’s quite good length and persistence with calisson, orange peel & pith to its spicy, nutty finish it’s not as well balanced as the previous wines. Drink up. 125g/l residual sugar/13.4% abv
1991 – a cool but dry vintage with a slow onset of botrytis. Amber, with a lifted, well-defined peach nose. This vintage, the second to mature in tighter grained Seguin Moreau oak has a finer palate, long, persistent and poised with vanilla, peaches and cream. Mouth-watering acidity to the finish accounts for the poise and length. Very good and lots of life yet. 141g/l residual sugar/12.3% abv
1995 – a quick onset of botrytis. Deep amber with a golden rim. The nose is more developed than the 1991 with apple tarte tatin which follows through on a rich palate with caramelised apricot and citrus acidity to balance. Not as fine as the 91 but powerful. 150g/l residual sugar/11% abv
2002 – an excellent year for botrytis – 175g residual sugar/11,4% abv. This looks much younger (as it is!) and has a lovely freshness and lift to the nose with citrus, grapefruit pith; the palate is delicate yet creamy, with peach, grapefruit and a spicy, pithy undertow. Long and persistent. Good core of fruit too. A real change in style here with older barrels and an element of back blend non-barrel component. Top notch – a long life ahead. 175g/l residual sugar/11.2% abv
2004 – very hot and dry with only 60-70% botrytis. Deeper gold than the 2002 with a riper, richer nose with peach tea and syrup. Big and powerful with buttery peach, apricots, vanilla and clotted cream; good acidity too with some acacia honey on a longish finish. Good in a toothsome, ripe style – needs time to develop greater complexity. 10.5%, 190g/l residual sugar
2006 – a dry year reflected in a luscious, round palate with creamy fruit salad, peach tea/peach syrup and vanilla; nonetheless, good freshness and persistence to the finish. 10%, 200g/l residual sugar. (100% screw cap)
2007 – wet spells led to good botrytis and this is very citrus and fresh with grapefruit as well as rounder, honeyed peach and tropical pineappley/rum baba notes. Long, long finish. 10%, 214 g/l residual sugar. Great potential. (100% screw cap)
A comparison – 2001 Sauternes
Darren (rightly) showing great confidence in his wine, also treated us to some of the leading wines from this, a top vintage for Sauternes. For Darren, the Sauternes always have a marzipan character and I found that they were indeed less fruit focused than the most comparably aged Noble One, the 2002. They also showed more underlying structure, though Noble One is clearly not short of it given its demonstrable ageing capacity – the 1984 in particular being a fabulous case in point.
2001 Chateau Guiraud – golden yellow, citrus (oranges and lemons) but less fruit focused than the Noble Ones, with a medicinal nose and palate showing saffron, calisson and a honeyed, long, insinuating finish. Very good.
2001 Chateau Yquem – pale yellow, much oakier on the buttery nose and the very powerful, structured palate – almost cut with a knife! Opulent and yet tightly structured with lemon citrus, nougat, acacia, vanilla and very seductive white truffle…long, persistent and powerful. Phwoar, but then there’s the price tag….
2001 Chateau Suduiraut – pale yellow, good freshness with a lifted saffron/camomile backdrop and hints of buttermint. Good length with citrus and honey finish. Elegant – exceptional.
2001 Chateau Rieussec 2001 - deep yellow, more developed, complex and textured, this is big in frame; shows orange and grapefruit pith, pineapple as it opens up – girth and girder here. Impressive.
And finally, Black Noble
De Bortoli Black Noble – this non-vintage blend (average age of wine +10 years) is a unique fortified botrytis wine. It’s deep and dark with taffeta layers of coffee, Kahlua, liquorice and black treacle which makes for a dryness of character though it is sweet – very at 221 g/l residual sugar. Curious but in a good way! Enjoy with chocolates or macaroons!
Sarah Ahmed
The Wine Detective
8 September 2009
