Rudera Noble Late Harvest Chenin Blanc 2008

• In The Wine Spectator, April 2003 the 2002 vintage scored 89/100; and 88/100 in Robert Parker's The Wine Advocate, Issue 145; John Platter South African Wines Guide 2002 rated the 2002 vintage 4 stars. This was the only non French wine selected as great expression of the Chenin blanc grape in the over 100g/l catagory in the 2003 Rendez-vous du Chenin, Loire France.
• The Rudera Chenin Blanc Noble Late Harvest 2003 scored an impressive 92/100 in the May 2004 issue of The Wine Spectator.; and this wine was awarded a Gold at the Basil International Wine Fair. John Platter South African Wines Guide 2005 rated the 2003 vintage 4½ stars.
• The 2005 Rudera Noble Late Harvest vintage scored 4½ stars in the John Platter South African Wines Guide 2007; and scored 91 in Steve Tanzer's International Wine Cellar, dated March/April 2007.
• The 2006 vintage received 4½ stars in the Platter's South African Wines Guide 2009.
• The 2007 vintage received 4½ stars in the Platter's South African Wines Guide 2010.
• The 2008 vintage received 4½ stars in the Platter's South African Wines Guide 2011.
• The 2008 vintage scored 90 points in the Wine Enthusiast July 2012 Issue

ageing : 

This is a wine made for aficionados and collectors, and will age beautifully for decades to come.

Rudera Noble Late Harvest Chenin Blanc is exclusively produced in exceptional years when conditions are condusive to enable natural botrytis to accrue on premier parcels of grapes. The botrytised grapes were hand-picked in the early morning from old bush vines in April and bunch selection was done carefully in the vineyard. The yields were 2,0 (8hl/ha) tons per hectare with acids above 9,2g/l and pH's generally below 3,1.

The grapes were lightly crushed and the juice was allowed to settle overnight. New French barriques were filled and allowed to ferment with the natural yeast, using the indigenous microflora on the grapes. Fermentation took place in a 14ºC cellar but actual fermentation temperatures were not monitored. Rudera Chenin Blanc Noble Late Harvest was finished with fermentation two months later and was sterile filtered before being bottled.