Noble Riesling Dessert Wine

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21 October 2026

I first came across this at a recent press tasting and it was one of those wines that made me want to take a closer look.

It comes in a half bottle from North Canterbury, New Zealand, but curiously, there’s nothing on the labels to tell you who makes it. However, the information provided at the press tasting revealed that it’s produced by the highly acclaimed Pegasus Bay.

The name Noble Riesling comes from the use of Riesling grapes affected by ‘noble rot’, caused by a fungus called Botrytis cinerea. Under the right conditions, this makes the grapes shrivel and lose water, concentrating their natural sugars and flavours to produce wonderfully rich, sweet wines. The 2017 vintage was particularly special, with nearly 100% of the fruit affected by botrytis, the highest proportion in 15 years. The wine was aged in a combination of oak barrels and tank, before being put together as a bespoke blend for Asda. Made from 100% Riesling, it has a modest 8.5% ABV but a large 230g/l of residual sugar – a seriously sweet wine.

In the glass, it has a lovely orange colour. The label mentions citrus and saffron, and both are certainly there, but I also found plenty of marmalade, ripe apricot and honey. With almost a decade of age behind it, those fresher fruit flavours have evolved into something altogether richer, with luscious honey, marmalade and apricot coming to the fore. It’s wonderfully full and syrupy in the mouth, coating the tongue with its rich, sweet flavours. Yet, despite all that sugar, there’s a streak of high acidity running through it, keeping the sweetness beautifully balanced and stopping it from becoming cloying. The finish is long and lingering, with those deliciously rich flavours hanging around long after. It’s incredibly moreish, and while it is lovely with dessert and, as I discovered, cheese, I am just as happy sipping a glass on its own.

New and exclusive to Asda, this mature, botrytised Riesling offers excellent value at just £9.94. With three gold medals from the 2026 IWSC, IWC and Decanter, it has the awards to match its quality. Get it while you can!

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TipS – Infographics

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