Robertson Winery bursting with pride

The Platter Wine Guide is widely considered the definitive guide to South African wines. So when Platter awards top marks, everyone sits up and takes notice. It's not surprising therefore that Robertson Winery is bursting with pride at the 5 stars awarded their Wide River Noble Late Harvest 2001.

Around 4 000 wines are submitted for tasting by the Platter Guide's prestigious panel. Of these wines, 67 top wines were selected for retasting to see just who really deserves to get the elusive 5 star rating. Of these 67 wines, only 17 wines were deemed good enough, and the Wide River Noble Late Harvest 2001 was rated amongst that number a first for Robertson Winery.

The wine is made from Weisser Riesling grapes from a single vineyard on the farm Almond Grove. Only when the conditions are favourable, i.e. damp, warm conditions, will the Botrytis Cineraria parasite, often called Noble Rot, develop on the vine and render the grapes suitable for the making of a Noble Late Harvest. The Botrytis sucks out the juice of the grape, leaving a sweet, shriveled raisin-like grape behind which is crushed and fermented down to just the right balance between alcohol and sugar to create a wine that is sweet but not cloying.

The wine was made by Lolly Louwrens, a past master at the making of Noble Late Harvest wines having won the General Smuts Award, the annual award at the SA Young Wine Show for the best wine overall on the show, for one his dessert wines, while another was selected Champion Noble Late Harvest in South Africa. "Making Noble Lates is a great challenge," says Lourens, "you take a great risk leaving the grapes on the vine, and sometimes Noble Rot just doesn't set in, then you lose everything. And then once you've got the grapes in the cellar they're difficult to press and the thick, murky juice is also tricky to ferment. But when you've got that liquid gold in the bottle, it's more than worth the sweat."

The Wide River Noble Late Harvest is a full-bodied wine which exhibits rich flavours of dried apricots, almonds and honey, with a lingering taste of ripe peaches. On the palate the wine is delicate but concentrated with a fresh acidity balancing the sweetness and creating a long, smooth finish. It is the perfect post prandial drink with strong cheese and toasted nuts but it is also delicous with ginger crisps or an almond or fruit tart.

Issued by: Julia Moore
Public Relations
4 Oudewerf Close
Durbanville 7550
Tel: (021) 976 2107
e-mail: juliapr@netactive.co.za

For more information contact: gaenor@vinimark.co.za