Noble Late Harvest Sauvignon Blanc

Noble rot wines make for a great combination with foie gras and duck liver parfait. Alternatively, cream and custard-based preparations like the Italian panna cotta and French crème brûlée will both be beautiful matches with a Noble Late Harvest.

An identified Sauvignon Blanc vineyard block, yielding approximately 10 tons of grapes, enjoyed a longer hanging time to become naturally infected with Botrytis Cinerea. With Botrytis infection, known as “noble rot”, the fungus causes moisture evaporation, leaving a higher concentration of solids such as sugars, fruit acids and minerals. This results in a more intense, concentrated final product.

Once the grapes were harvested, 8 weeks later than Sauvignon Blanc for our dry wine, it weighed only 4 tons. The juice was fermented to 11% alcohol and the wine was left with a high residual sugar content. The 2019 vintage of Noble Late Harvest grapes delivered a mere 380 litres per ton, approximately half the volume compared to regular Sauvignon Blanc grapes, resulting in a limited produced and highly sought-after wine.

De Grendel is a Durbanville wine estate where cool-climate vineyards and careful site selection shape a broad range of South African wines. Known for Sauvignon Blanc, Shiraz and red blends, the estate combines coastal influence, varietal clarity and a strong sense of Cape Town wine country.