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Australian family-owned winery De Bortoli Wines’ iconic Black Noble has been named one of the world’s best fortified wines by leading international drinks trade publication the drinks business.

The accolade follows Black Noble winning a gold medal in the highly respected 2019 Global Fortified Masters blind tasting competition.

Black Noble is one of two Australian wines in the ‘Top 10 Fortified Wines from the Global Masters’ list, with the other eight wines from France, Spain and Portugal. Black Noble was described as:

“Roasted coffee, toffee, sweet raisins and a touch of lemon-peel bitterness characterise this amazing, unctuous wine from Australia.”

De Bortoli Senior Winemaker Julie Mortlock was not surprised the wine was continuing to be regarded as among the best in the world, following a series of trophy and medal wins at other prestigious international wine competitions.

“We know how good Black Noble is and we’re thrilled that it is receiving this level of recognition around the world,” Julie said. “I love it with sticky date pudding or it makes a deliciously decadent dessert of its own when poured over ice-cream. With Father’s Day coming up, Black Noble would make a great treat for Dads who enjoy the finer things in life.”

Black Noble is the world’s only fortified wine made from botrytis grapes. It was first created by Darren De Bortoli in 1998 in the Riverina region of New South Wales and was inspired by a wine his grandfather and the business’ founder Vittorio De Bortoli produced in the 1930s.

Black Noble has woven together both the family and the variety’s history, as it is crafted from the same botrytised Semillon grapes harvested for De Bortoli’s Noble One, one of the world’s most awarded wines, which was developed by Darren and his father Deen in 1982.

A parcel of the most botrytised Semillon grapes at approximately 20 to 22 baume is selected to produce the Black Noble intense and ripe botrytis flavours. A little fermentation occurs before fortification when a grape spirit is added to inhibit further fermentation. The wine is then clarified, and a touch of brandy is added for extra complexity before being transferred into aged Noble One barriques.

Black Noble is one of De Bortoli’s four aged Premium Fortified wines, with the others in the range also gaining recognition at the 2019 Global Fortified Masters – Show Liqueur Muscat, 8 Year Old Fine Tawny and Old Boys’ 21 Year Old Barrel Aged Tawny.