It is wonderful to have the opportunity to drink wines such as these. This wine is a botrytis semillon made by De Bortoli wines in Australia and is from the 1982 vintage. It is tasted and reviewed here some 42 years’ later in 2024. The wine is so old that it is labelled as a “Sauternes”, pre-dating the 2010 agreement between Australia and the EU which no longer permits this term. You can read an outline of what was agreed between Australia and the EU in this respect in this publication from Wine Australia. Back to the wine, it’s an exceptional Australian botrytis semillon and may be among the finest Australian examples of this style. It is certainly the finest that I have tasted. Its back label is adorned with 43 gold medals from its day.
In the glass, the wine has taken on a fully mature quite dark brown colour. Its aromas are complex and subtle, and remind of raisins, dried apples and honey. The emphasis of each character changes with time in the glass, as very good wines sometimes do, but the aromatic impression is integrated rather than an expression of individual aromas side-by-side. The palate is medium bodied, and there are none of the cloying characters to be found in modest warm climate botrytis semillon. Instead, there is a seamless and almost delicate harmony between its sweet finish and its aged honeyed fruit. If true Sauternes permitted merit based inclusions, this wine would do it credit. This is a benchmark Australian wine. Review Rating: Outstanding (★★★★★, 97 points). Website: De Bortoli Family Winemakers. Tasted: July 2024.
