Distinct yellow hue; very rich bouquet. Amazingly full, scented nose erupting from the glass. Waxy, honeyed with mouth watering fruit salad and apples. Rich mouth-feel and layers of tropical flavours. The delicate yet firm smokey, oaky flavour expanding in the mouth. Fairly sweet and full; lovely texture and good length.
The Rudera Chenin Blanc Noble Late Harvest 2003 scored an impressive 92/100 in the May 2004 issue of Wine Spectator. In the 2003 Rendez-vous du Chenin the Noble Late Harvest 2002 was the only non-French wine in the sweet wine category. This wine were rated a gold at the Basil International Wine Fair. The 2005 Platter Guide rated it ****(*).
ageing :
This wine will develop over the next 5 years to gain complexity and true Chenin blanc character.
The botrytised grapes were hand-picked in the early morning from old bush vines in a morning early in April and were berry selected using a vibrating sorting table. The yields were 2,0 (8hl/ha) tons per hectare with acids above 9,5g/l and pH’s generally below 3,1. A total of 2270 x 375ml were made.
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.
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