de Bortoli

Two less common Australian fortifieds

~ Richard ~ Leave a comment

1976 seppelt para

1976 Seppelt Para Liqueur 22%
Barossa, predominantly grenache with some Shiraz and Mataro.

Most of these Seppelt tawny styles have a lovely amber/khaki colour with an olive green rim – the handbell/lantern shaped bottle is distinctive, but a minor storage hazard- though most will be kept on their original cardboard boxes.

This is not a 46 year old wine! Vintage Paras were released in 1922, 1925, 1927, 1930, 1933, 1939, 1944 and 1947. Labelling laws and imperfect records meant the year referred to the oldest component. The “101” was released in 1975, with an average age around 28 years. The numbered series continued up to “126”, but the releases were slightly more often than annually. This 1976 vintage wine was released in 2004, (aged in oak perhaps 28 years) and has been resting in bottle – and not improving- for nearly 20 years.

It smells ripe with citrus peel, mixed roasted nuts, fine caramel, fruitcake spices and quality brandy spirit. It’s lush on the palate, with some mocha creaminess, and a warm and decadent finish. The style is under-rated, and the quality is exemplary.

There will be some vintage variation with varying degrees of ripeness, minor spirit tweaks, and the usual artful blending from barrels of different sizes, and heights in the stacks. There are plenty of variables to keep across. The current release (from Seppelts) is the 2001, available for $95.

Match with sparkling conversation, contemplative music or a witty movie.

Drink now, 94 points.

20 yo de bortoli black noble

De Bortoli 20 years old Black Noble 18.5%
Bottle #585. Released in mid-2018 ($90) to celebrate 90 years of de Bortoli winemaking. Average age 20 years, and made from incredibly ripe botrytised Semillon,  fortified and barrel -aged. Botrytis is often accompanied by volatile acidity, which makes its presence felt strongly here.

It’s a very dark treacly/espresso colour (indicating barrel age), with citrus and espresso, dried fruits and dusty fruitcake spices.

The palate has the nuttiness, an extra mocha shot and abundant spices, It’s turbo-charged with sweetness, acidy and power. It’s a monster step up from the widely available 10 y/o black noble. There is no getting away from the VA, but when there is so much intensity, flavour, lusciousness, and pleasure that I become a convert.

Drink now, 94 points.

Advertisement

2017 de Bortoli Noble One Botrytis semillon 12.5%

~ Richard ~ Leave a comment

From the Riverina, NSW, where the style was first released by de Bortoli in 1982. With a long track record of making these unctuous dessert styles, this vintage has assorted – credible – trophies and gold medals. Its readily available with an RRP in Australia of around $80 for a full bottle, and around $40 for the half bottle I purchased- less with careful shopping. It’s the “big sibling” of the awesome value “Deen” botrytis semillon I reviewed few months ago.

Light gold colour; generous decadent scent of brown honey, cinnamon, yellow peach, and apricot stonefruit. Cashew oak is evident, but is balanced by the combination of fruit weight and dusty botrytis notes. It’s medium bodied for this style, with a very dense palate. The 170 g/l of residual sugar means the wine is very sweet, but it has bracing acidity (confirmed by the tech specs), and shows a welcome sense of restraint.

It will subdue most desserts, and is another very classy Australian sweet wine.

Drink to 2032 – at least – and 93 points.

Two very different wines

~ Richard ~ Leave a comment

Different ages, different variety, different hemispheres, but both provided drinking interest and satisfaction.

2008 zilliken sr kab

2008 (Forstmeister Geltz) Zilliken Saarburger Rausch Riesling Kabinett 7.5%
The company’s website is here. From the Mosel, still with a pale lemon colour. Aromatically it shows lime citrus, tropicals, spices and a sense of high acidity. The palate leads with red apple flavours, honeydew melon too, and those spices again, with a dash of pebble. Racy acid ensures the sweetness (60 g/l) is balanced. Some grip on the palate is minor quibble; the wine is drinking well.

To 2024 and 90 points.

2017 deen botrytis sem

2017 De Bortoli Deen Vat 5 botrytis semillon 11.5%
This wine is the junior brother of De Bortoli’s Noble One – more affordable , at well under $20 for a half bottle – and on its day capable of shading its more famous sibling on the wine show circuit.

The Riverina (inland NSW, Australia) is an established home of exotic botrytised Semillon (and other varieties). Lillypilly, McWilliams morning light, and other examples are worth trying. There are also some terrific VFM red wines from the Riverina, with Durif to the fore.

The style here (Semillon with heavy botrytis) is usually much sweeter than Sauternes -not as long-living, or as refined as the best examples- but significantly cheaper. They still have ample acidity to accompany the sweetness.

This wine is golden in colour, ripe with apricot, marmalade and crème brûlée. The palate shows rampant ripe tropical pineapple, and cumquat with some green fruits too. While drenched in sweetness, there is abundant citrus-led acidity to keep this wine fresh for at least another five years. It’s a rich wine style crafted to tickle the senses. Great value.

Drink to 2025 and 90 points.