Ranked #3 of 49 2008 Sémillon from Riverina
95/100
5 Stars
Huon Hooke
(375ml / A$33) Deep, burned gold/amber colour. Intense, edgy citrus peel and marmalade aromas, lots of botrytis, rich and fully sweet to the point of lusciousness. Burnt toffee. Mellow, mature, long palate with a little grip in the tail. Good flavour and balance. Lots of richness and lusciousness. A little bit goes a long way. A classic Australian style.
Tasted: 31/05/2013
Drink: 2013 to 2019
94 Points Robert Parker
Medium gold colored, De Bortoli’s 2008 Noble One gives a youthfully mute, moderately intense nose of orange blossom, clover honey, jasmine, apricot preserves and dried pineapple chunks. The palate is incredibly concentrated and sweet (231 grams per liter of residual sugar) with layers of tropical fruit and honeyed flavors well refreshed by very crisp acid and going into a very long finish. Delicious now, it will reward cellaring over the next 2-10 years and drink to 2022+.
Source: Robert Parker (Robert Parker Wine Advocate) by Lisa Perrotti-Brown. May, 2011
95 Points James Halliday
Bright yellow-gold; the vast experience of De Bortoli with this style results in a wine with the rich, opulent and sweet fruit balanced by the acidity missing from lesser wines; cumquat, mandarin, honey and vanilla are all part of the package. 375 ml. Drink to 2014.
Source: James Halliday. March, 2010