The Auswine Forum

Following on from Brucers post, I had a similar experience with a dessert wine recently.

Went looking through the further corners of my cellar for a dessert wine and found a 1978 Brown Brothers Noble Rielsling. This had only been kept as a bit of a curio but my brother and I decided we might as well give it a try. Held itup to the light and you could not see through the bottle at all. It looked like you were looking through a brown beer bottle.

So we decided we would open it, then probably tip it down the sink and get something else.

Anyway, cut the top off the lead capsule and the top of the cork was all shrivelled and black wth mould, which just seemed to confirm our expectations. Got the AhSo opener and struggled to get the cork out.

As soon as it was out you could just smell this most amazing aroma and you new that, not only was it going to be alright, it was probably going to be pretty good.

Poured a small sampl into a glass and had a quick smell and taste. Oh my god. Quickly shoved a stopper in the top and put it in the fridge for after dinner.

This turned out to be one of the best wines I have ever had. There was still plenty of fruit and acid and the most amazingly long finish. You only needed a small sip every five minutes to keep the taste in your mouth. My brother commented that he could still taste it the next morning!

As you cansee from the photo - it looks past it, but it was faaar from it.

109 points (or 5 Phar Lap hearts) on Craigs scale.

Awesome stuff. We hear so much about what makes a great wine but one thing that always helps make a good wine outstanding is when you open Good bottle of that good wine at the precise moment.

Great picture. That is one beautiful glass of wine. Knowing what it is and then seeing the colour of the wine, I can almost imagine the smell and taste of the wine.

Thanks, another example of how even modest wines can age well.

Cheers..............Mahmoud

Sounds great.

Looks like you are about to add some steamed milk to it!

Had a similar experience with a bottle of Happs 1981 cabernet vintage port I purchased on auction for next to nothing. After speaking with the company found out it was their very first vintage of having a go at a fortified. Anyway it turns out that it was like a fantastically balanced and aged viscous cab sav with great length of finish (but still wouldn’t say extremely long for a fortified). It was a joy and an unexpected surprise.

Does anyone know if "Noble" on the label actually meant Botrytis back then? might explain its longevity..

JamieH wrote:Does anyone know if "Noble" on the label actually meant Botrytis back then? might explain its longevity..

Botrytis is colloquially known as 'noble rot'

cheers

Carl

Yes Griff, i know that, i was hoping someone might know if Brown Brothers were telling the truth about the 'Noble' bit. Back then there were some strange labelings going on (Burgundy, Claret).

JamieH wrote:Yes Griff, i know that, i was hoping someone might know if Brown Brothers were telling the truth about the 'Noble' bit. Back then there were some strange labelings going on (Burgundy, Claret).

Need Sharkey to read the label for us

But we can speculate and say that the cork and the colour of the wine suggests botrytis. I seem to recall that King Valley is able to gain natural botrytis infestation in some years so if it is from there it is possible. Bit like a detective story

cheers

Carl

griff wrote:

JamieH wrote:Yes Griff, i know that, i was hoping someone might know if Brown Brothers were telling the truth about the 'Noble' bit. Back then there were some strange labelings going on (Burgundy, Claret).

Need Sharkey to read the label for us

But we can speculate and say that the cork and the colour of the wine suggests botrytis. I seem to recall that King Valley is able to gain natural botrytis infestation in some years so if it is from there it is possible. Bit like a detective story

cheers

Carl

The cork and colour just suggest age. The browning of the wine is pure odidation. Not unusual for a riesling to go 40 years and that extra sugar would certainly have helped.

I recollect reading that Brown Brothers actually did the first botrytis riesling in Australia - discovered it by "accident" when grapes went mouldy. Whatever, my understanding is that the wine was called "noble" because of the botrytised grapes.

griff wrote:
Need Sharkey to read the label for us

It's right there on the label. Here, I'll just zoom in for you.

Thanks Sharkey, still amazes me how many wine styles Brown Bros either lead or are in the lead group with (interestingly mainly sweet).

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JamieH wrote:Thanks Sharkey, still amazes me how many wine styles Brown Bros either lead or are in the lead group with (interestingly mainly sweet).

Very good comment.

I'd suggest the Noble Riesling (now under the Patricia range) probably has the second best pedigree of any dessert wine in the country after noble one, and many might have it ahead given its greater longevity. I've had a few late 70's early 80's Noble Rieslings from BB, and aside from the odd dead duck most have been great.

With Sparkling you could make the same argument. They never seem to get the kudos of an Arras or a Radenti etc, but over the long haul, their Vintage, NV, and occasional Cellar Door only releases (Blanc de Blanc etc) have probably been the equal of anyone.

I think the barrage of Moscato's, Cienna's and other sweet things most people associate Brown Bros with overshadows some of their work with more classical wine styles. That said, that same assortment of commercial sweet wines probably pays the bills very nicely as well.