First, the 2007 Delheim Edelspatz Noble Late Harvest (single
vineyard Rhine Riesling) won the Dessert Wine Trophy at the Decanter
World Wine Awards. Then, in the same week, the same wine won
the Best Dessert Wine Trophy at the Old Mutual Trophy Wine Show,
scoring 96 out of 100 points.
And then at
the International Wine & Spirit
Competition in London, Delheim won the Mission Hill Trophy
for best Chardonnay
for Delheim Chardonnay Sur Lie 2007. Altogether, there were 477
Chardonnay entries from all over the world, so we think we can
be justifiably proud of this accolade.
Delheim Chardonnay Sur Lie is produced from 18 year old vines
on the south western slopes of the Simonsberg (420m above sea
level). The grapes are harvested by hand. Fermentation was started
in stainless steel tanks and the wine was then transferred into
225liter barrels to complete fermentation and malolactic fermentation.
The Chardonnay was kept in oak barrels for 11 months on primary
lees. The result is a well defined and richly concentrated wine
with citrus and peach aromas. The wine is elegant, yet firmly
structured.
When Edelspatz
was first released in 1979, it was a hit too, although its
beginnings were a little
haphazard. After the first
Edelwein was created by Nederburg’s Gunter Brozel in 1969,
Delheim followed suit ten years later and then it was only by
chance.
Upon discovering the Botrytis rot and nearly giving up on the
Chenin Blanc harvest, Spatz Sperling of Delheim was bemoaning
his loss to Frans Malan of Simonsig. It was Frans who suggested
creating a Delheim Edelwein. After some hurried and urgent research
on the phone to Germany for the Edelbeerenauslese ‘recipe’,
the first few hundred litres of the noble juice were released.
The 2007 harvest was the smallest ever with 5.55 tonnes but the
yield had a very good Botrytis concentration. Harvested three
times, it produced just 2 200 litres. The 2007 Delheim Edelspatz
Noble Late Harvest has a concentration of dried apricot and citrus
with notes of honey, which are all beautifully balanced and expressive.
It is smooth and elegant with a lingering after taste. The Trophy
Wine Awards judges described it as having a fresh clean nose;
upfront and lively with a balanced palate; some custard, lime
and a caramel finish. Platter guide, which gives Edelspatz 4½ stars,
describes it as a ‘text book example’ of a noble
late harvest.
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