2011 Mulderbosch Noble Late Harvest Sauvignon Blanc, 375ml
4 Stars ~ Platter’s SA Wines
Tasting Notes
Visually appealing, alive with hues of shimmering burnished copper. Powerfully aromatic, displaying cinnamon, stewed apples, and wafts of oven-crisp pie crust. The palate is wonderfully intense with toffee apple flavours, quince paste, and botrytis spice all accentuated by a lifted, pithy citrus aromatic which leads to the bright and persistent finish.
Method
Perfectly botrytised Sauvignon Blanc berries were handpicked and allowed skin contact overnight before being slowly pressed. The luscious juice was allowed to settle for two days before being racked in French oak barrels. After a lengthy fermentation, the wine was left to mature on gross lees for six months. A light fining and filtration preceded bottling.
Food Pairing
Foie gras. Crêpes suzette, crème brûlée, fruit based desserts like fruit tarts and flans, especially when they contain apple. A range of cheeses, particularly Roquefort.
Will improve up to 15 years from the date of vintage
Specs
Vintage: 2011
Varietal: Sauvignon Blanc
Appellation: Western Cape, South Africa
Sugar at Harvest: 34 Brix
Barrel Ageing: 100% new French oak (225L) for six months
Alcohol:11%
Total Acid 8.54 g/l
pH 3.45
Free SO2 26 mg/l
Total SO2 178 mg/l
Residual Sugar: 176 g/L
Bottle Size 375 ML
What’s Included
4-bottles:
4x 2011 Mulderbosch Noble Late Harvest Sauvignon Blanc, 375ml Case:
12x 2011 Mulderbosch Noble Late Harvest Sauvignon Blanc, 375ml
When Mulderbosch founder, Larry Jacobs, bought the farm in 1989 the community referred to the property as “vuilplasie”, Afrikaans for “dirty little farm”. Shortly after, he partnered with Mike Dobrovic, known as the South African Mr. Sauvignon Blanc, and together they cleaned up the property and planted the first vineyards. A (small) cellar was later built and the first set of wines were released: Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay. The dream was to produce wine, but certainly not just any wine; they had to consistently reflect innovation, creativity, and excellence.
As an innovator, Mulderbosch was the first producer in the country to successfully create a barrel-fermented style of Chenin Blanc. Trailblazing the infant rosé category with our Rosé of Cabernet Sauvignon continued this thread of innovation. Today, Mulderbosch has achieved commercial success worldwide and has affirmed our identity as a producer of distinctive wines, representative of the soils and climate in which our grapes are grown.
Mulderbosch Vineyards is widely considered one of South Africa’s iconic wineries and has established a reputation for excellence. We are tireless in our pursuit of making wines of the highest quality that honor our proud heritage and can be enjoyed by all.
Available States
AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT, NE, NV, NH, NJ, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY
Tracking info from UPS suggested there might be something interesting in store for us, and the phone call from the depot confirmed it. I headed over there to pick it up, and to my great surprise, found a bottle of Mulderbosch 2011 Late Harvest Sauvignon Blanc, something I didn’t know existed. Living near the Canadian border, we are certainly familiar with lots of late harvest and ice wines, but never a Sauvignon Blanc. Having enjoyed an earlier Mulderbosch offering on Casemates, a Cabernet Sauvignon Rosé, we were eager to try this one.
We put it in the fridge and waited patiently for a good time to open it. Wednesday night, we’d been out to a Riesling wine dinner at a local restaurant, and once we got home, decided it was time to give it a try. It was well chilled, and I couldn’t get much of a bouquet, so I took a sip. There was plenty of flavor there, but I couldn’t really put my finger on it. It was most enjoyable, and if I hadn’t known from the label it was a Sauvignon Blanc, I couldn’t have guessed. After a couple of small glasses, we put the rest back in the fridge.
One night later, we took it out of the fridge, tasted some more, this time with a fresher palate, and I think I’m getting some flavors of stone fruits: peaches, nectarines, and apricots. Again, I’m finding it very enjoyable, a nice wine with a late evening snack or just on its own.
I have to admit that I’ve never been a big fan of Sauvignon Blanc. I often find a grapefruit flavor component that I don’t care for. There was none of that in this wine and none of the cloying sweetness that characterizes some late harvest wines, just smooth fruit and moderate sweetness. Despite its age, the sugar/acid balance held up really well. I could see paying $15-$20/bottle for wine of this quality. The $10 price if you buy four is great, but a case for $79.99? Screaming deal!
I bought this from Garagiste almost 2 years ago for closer to the $15-20 range @ddeuddeg mentioned above. Had a bottle a little while back and according to my CT note this was great. Looks like there’s some bottle variation, though.
At this price? Yeesh. Back up the truck.
We received notification that a package was coming via UPS before the coveted email arrived in ddeuddeg’s inbox. The box contained a Casemates glass and a 375 ml bottle of 2011 Mulderbosch Sauvignon Blanc Noble Late Harvest, Wine of Origin Western Cape, Product of South Africa. We put it in the fridge to give it a good chill and tried it a few days after arrival.
This is a well-aged dessert-style, sit by the firepit or fireplace (sorry, we’ve had a few Fall-type days this week), kind of quaffing wine. It is a deep amber in color. If I were to taste this wine blind-folded, I would not be able to recognize it as a Late Harvest Sauvignon Blanc. It has a full, pleasing nose, but I am unable to pinpoint the details. This is a well-balanced wine with toffee-like overtones and some notes of botrytis.
In a nutshell: this is a very enjoyable wine that held up into day 2. Keep in mind, it is much sweeter than most wines we see here on Casemates, but it’s supposed to be! It’s a dessert wine! Buy some and enjoy!
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: tax and shipping are not included in savings calculations.)
2011 Mulderbosch Noble Late Harvest Sauvignon Blanc - $40 = 33.32%
Better late than never… It’s sold out so for what it’s worth… LOL
2011 Mulderbosch Noble Late Harvest Sauvignon Blanc
Copper orange color. Out of the bottle a thick, intense floral nose of honeysuckle, beeswax and hints of sweet cedarwood dominate. A touch of herbal lavender perhaps? Very rich overall.
The body follows suit with a weighted, viscous mouth feel. Pure honey and sweet citrus (think Meyer lemon) up front, woody notes, Citrus zest follow shortly after, ushering in a slightly waxy moist finish.
It’s safe to say this falls squarely in the dessert wine category. It is well made and moreover from a interesting less talked about region - South Africa. This should make for a great conversation piece to explore with friends after dinner. I can see this with cheesecake, dry artisan cheeses, nuts, and citrus pastries.
Over the years I’ve pretty much moved away from dessert wines but I can still appreciate the place a wine like this holds in one’s cellar.
2011 Mulderbosch Noble Late Harvest Sauvignon Blanc, 375ml
4 Stars ~ Platter’s SA Wines
Tasting Notes
Method
Food Pairing
Specs
What’s Included
4-bottles:
Case:
Price Comparison
Not for sale on winery website, $240/case MSRP
About The Winery
Available States
AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT, NE, NV, NH, NJ, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY
Estimated Delivery
Monday, Sep 16 - Tuesday, Sep 17
Chub
@losthighwayz What does that mean?
@klezman @losthighwayz Beer-bottle shape of yore.
2011 Mulderbosch Noble Late Harvest Sauvignon Blanc
4 bottles for $39.99 $10/bottle + $2/bottle shipping
Case of 12 for $79.99 $6.67/bottle + $1/bottle shipping
Tracking info from UPS suggested there might be something interesting in store for us, and the phone call from the depot confirmed it. I headed over there to pick it up, and to my great surprise, found a bottle of Mulderbosch 2011 Late Harvest Sauvignon Blanc, something I didn’t know existed. Living near the Canadian border, we are certainly familiar with lots of late harvest and ice wines, but never a Sauvignon Blanc. Having enjoyed an earlier Mulderbosch offering on Casemates, a Cabernet Sauvignon Rosé, we were eager to try this one.
We put it in the fridge and waited patiently for a good time to open it. Wednesday night, we’d been out to a Riesling wine dinner at a local restaurant, and once we got home, decided it was time to give it a try. It was well chilled, and I couldn’t get much of a bouquet, so I took a sip. There was plenty of flavor there, but I couldn’t really put my finger on it. It was most enjoyable, and if I hadn’t known from the label it was a Sauvignon Blanc, I couldn’t have guessed. After a couple of small glasses, we put the rest back in the fridge.
One night later, we took it out of the fridge, tasted some more, this time with a fresher palate, and I think I’m getting some flavors of stone fruits: peaches, nectarines, and apricots. Again, I’m finding it very enjoyable, a nice wine with a late evening snack or just on its own.
I have to admit that I’ve never been a big fan of Sauvignon Blanc. I often find a grapefruit flavor component that I don’t care for. There was none of that in this wine and none of the cloying sweetness that characterizes some late harvest wines, just smooth fruit and moderate sweetness. Despite its age, the sugar/acid balance held up really well. I could see paying $15-$20/bottle for wine of this quality. The $10 price if you buy four is great, but a case for $79.99? Screaming deal!
I bought this from Garagiste almost 2 years ago for closer to the $15-20 range @ddeuddeg mentioned above. Had a bottle a little while back and according to my CT note this was great. Looks like there’s some bottle variation, though.
At this price? Yeesh. Back up the truck.
We received notification that a package was coming via UPS before the coveted email arrived in ddeuddeg’s inbox. The box contained a Casemates glass and a 375 ml bottle of 2011 Mulderbosch Sauvignon Blanc Noble Late Harvest, Wine of Origin Western Cape, Product of South Africa. We put it in the fridge to give it a good chill and tried it a few days after arrival.
This is a well-aged dessert-style, sit by the firepit or fireplace (sorry, we’ve had a few Fall-type days this week), kind of quaffing wine. It is a deep amber in color. If I were to taste this wine blind-folded, I would not be able to recognize it as a Late Harvest Sauvignon Blanc. It has a full, pleasing nose, but I am unable to pinpoint the details. This is a well-balanced wine with toffee-like overtones and some notes of botrytis.
In a nutshell: this is a very enjoyable wine that held up into day 2. Keep in mind, it is much sweeter than most wines we see here on Casemates, but it’s supposed to be! It’s a dessert wine! Buy some and enjoy!
What a screaming deal for a wine of this quality! As @klezman said, “Back up the truck!”
I enjoyed their Rose. In for a case!
I see these appearing on Holiday tables and in stockings
@rjquillin It does have a cool label, suitable for gift giving
@rjquillin Great idea. I’m in for a 4 pack.
@rjquillin feel free to send a small number our way. And if not, no problem either. We still have 2 from Garagiste.
/giphy brawny-awkward-judge
In for a case. Sounds interesting and I agree could be great stocking stuffers.
A dessert wine? We’re in!
/giphy patriotic-particular-cottage
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: tax and shipping are not included in savings calculations.)
2011 Mulderbosch Noble Late Harvest Sauvignon Blanc - $40 = 33.32%
Cases sold out already!
@witchbug77 yeah, very frustrating
Have to settle for a four pack. Hope cases come back online.
/giphy tame-confident-mercury
All sold out in 10 hours?
Wowzer! Haven’t seen a sell out this fast in ages.
Cheers!
Wow, was up late last night and thought I’ll read more comments in the AM. Didn’t think I’d be reading “sold out an hour ago”.
Better late than never… It’s sold out so for what it’s worth… LOL
2011 Mulderbosch Noble Late Harvest Sauvignon Blanc
Copper orange color. Out of the bottle a thick, intense floral nose of honeysuckle, beeswax and hints of sweet cedarwood dominate. A touch of herbal lavender perhaps? Very rich overall.
The body follows suit with a weighted, viscous mouth feel. Pure honey and sweet citrus (think Meyer lemon) up front, woody notes, Citrus zest follow shortly after, ushering in a slightly waxy moist finish.
It’s safe to say this falls squarely in the dessert wine category. It is well made and moreover from a interesting less talked about region - South Africa. This should make for a great conversation piece to explore with friends after dinner. I can see this with cheesecake, dry artisan cheeses, nuts, and citrus pastries.
Over the years I’ve pretty much moved away from dessert wines but I can still appreciate the place a wine like this holds in one’s cellar.
/giphy deaf-open-harbor
Dang sold out! Throw a bow on these and they are great for holiday office gifting.