Dessert Wines Made from NOBLE ROT

Hi everybody, this is Agnesa from No Sediment and today let's talk about sweet wines that are made from grapes that are affected by noble rot. Naturally, sweet wines can be achieved in different ways. I actually talk about it in my very first YouTube video, but the most prized and possibly age-worthy wines come from grapes that are infected by Botrytis. Botrytis cinerea is a fungi, an organism that initiates gray rot. However, with the right conditions and grape airity, instead of turning gray and fluffy, grape dehydrates and the sugars concentrate. Noble rot will also alter the aroma profile. Therefore, wines that are made with even the smallest percentage of grapes that have been affected by Botrytis will show very distinctive aroma characteristics, such as chamomile, saffron, and linden honey. While it is not fully understood yet how exactly it happens that grapes, instead of being devastated by gray rot, turn into this pure sweet essence, it is believed that perfect conditions require misty and foggy mornings and dry sunny afternoons. Therefore, wet mornings will initiate the development of fungi, while dry and sunny afternoons will not allow it to develop fully into gray rot. But the weather is unpredictable, which means that even in winemaking regions that are strongly associated with sweet wines made from Botrytis grapes, it will not be possible to make these wines every year. As the rot does not affect a whole bunch at once, in some regions the affected grapes will only be picked, leaving the healthy ones on the wine. That means that whoever is picking the grapes will need to go through the vineyard several times. Grape varieties such as Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Sémillon, Chenin Blanc, Moscat, and Fermenté. It is also important to note that these grape varieties can hold their acidity, and that means that sweet luscious wines made from these grape varieties will almost never taste sticky or cloaking. In fact, some might have acidity so high that they seem fresh and light, despite the fact that they have high residual sugar levels. So you have to be looking at the areas that are famous with these beautiful morning mists. For example, Saturn's in Bordeaux is famous with their sweet wines. It is because cooler river Ceyron meets much warmer river Garonne, causing frequent morning mists. If the weather is merciful and the dry and sunny afternoons follow, the noble rot will develop. Likewise, in Mosel, Germany, Neuzillersi in Austria, and Topkai in Hungary, all these wine regions are famous with their luscious sweet wines. Wines that are made from grapes affected by noble rot will have high aroma intensity. The greatest majority of them will be sweet or even luscious. The aroma characteristics include marzipan, saffron, blossom honey, preserved citrus, and tropical fruits. As grapes are highly dehydrated during the infection process, it will not only concentrate the sugars but also the acidity. Therefore, the greatest of these sweet wines will also show mouth-watering sensation. In terms of alcohol level, it really depends. Wines such as Saturn will usually have 13 percent or higher, while Trockenbeer and Auslese from Germany and Topkai from Hungary will rarely reach 10 percent. While you can pair these wines with very sweet and decadent desserts, they will also pair beautifully with aged blue cheeses such as Roquefort and Stilton. I hope you liked my video. Many beautiful dessert wines are made from Riesling grape variety, so make sure to watch my other video on Riesling.