Noble One – 25th Anniversary tasting with Darren De Bortoli
De Bortoli premiered their ‘Sauternes’ with the 1982 vintage and celebrates their 25th vintage with the 2007. The conditions in the Riverina area were perfect for botrytis development – with long hot days and cool misty mornings. Inspired by a 1975 Ch Coutet, Darren de Bortoli started production of what would later (from 1990 onwards) be called Noble One.
We tasted 8 vintages of Noble One including the 1982 alongside 4 Sauternes from the 2001 vintage.
It was a big contrast in styles going from the Noble One to the Sauternes, as the richness of the Australian wine overshadowed the elegance of the Bordeaux wines.
Flavour profiles in general were of marmalade and apricot for the Noble One with rich ripe palate and massive acidity where the Sauternes were more subtle with the botrytis giving gentle saffron aromas and liquid pear character on the palate.
2007 Noble One – 90 pts – rich nose, lots of oak quite raw, marzipan and nuts, concentrated creamy vanilla and toffee – crème brulée. Honeysuckle and ripe mango. Needs time to integrate better.
2004 Noble One – 91 pts – fat round honeyed and tropical, mangos and pineapple fruit with a toasted and toffee flavour. Botrytis aromas light and new wood well integrated.
2002 Noble One – 90 pts – tropical fruit, pineapple and citrus peel, more Sauternes like, less fat than the 2004, some apricots and a toasty crème brulée like palate. Touches of marzipan.
1995 Noble One – 95 pts – deep brown tawny colour (as dark as the 1982) very honeyed and waxy lanolin on nose, marmalade and dried apricot, clean round and very rich but with a very refreshing tang of Seville oranges on finish, great balance and length.
1991 Noble One – 89pts –deep golden amber, nose light and soft, not very intense or botrytis like, some honey and ripe mango with marmalade and a rich texture but lacks some of the acidity, depth and concentration seen in the first three wines.
1985 Noble One – 96pts – deep amber colour, nose open and full very ripe, saffron hints and marmalade botrytis, honey roast pears, great acidity again, very long.
1984 Noble One – 94pts – nose clean and quite youthful, soft botrytis, more tropical and caramel, toffee with nuts and pineapple, a very ripe palate super concentrated pears and tart tatin.
1982 Noble One – 97pts –deep amber colour, very rich nose little volatile character giving coconut wood and roasted marshmallows, tart tatin and roasted tropical fruits, toffeed nuts and pineapple, some spice and dried apricot, very ripe palate but with a firm acidity, citrus tea finish, very long with plenty of time left. Amazing.
2001 Ch Guiraud – 92pts- open ripe, fresh and tropical, pear, baked apples and honey with saffron and vanilla, fine and elegant palate.
2001 Ch Suduiraut – 94pts – clean and very elegant, pineapple, grapefruit pith, light lemon marmalade character , very elegant and balanced, quite young will last a long time.
2001 Ch Rieussec – 95pts – not as botrytised and saffron scented as Rieussec often is, quite closed on the nose, very concentrated but shy, some barley sugar and tropical fruit, honeyed pears with mango, very concentrated palate but young. Huge potential.
2001 Ch d’Yquem – 94pts – nose tight and young, minerals and honeysuckle, roasted pears and some apricots, great acidity and length, very well balanced, oak shows a little, need much more time.
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