Bordeaux sweet wines
Sweet wine: grape growing and winemaking
long tradition, oft from botrytis
yield be low ~ 1/3 of still to ensure high sugar level
pruning to a low number of buds
removing fruits with (potential) disease or damage - prone to grey rot
low yields, reduction in juice by botrytis -> yield at 10 hl/ha common among tops, < max yield of 25
harvesters be trained to identify noble rot vs grey/black rot
many passes through vineyard - in some vintages 10–12 times - to select properly botrytised and ripebunches
or berries
Harvest Sep-Nov
Vital decisions affecting quality made in the vineyard
level of botrytis in the final wine depends on
if condition correct for spread of botrytis, varies year to year
position of estates (close to areas where mists forms most regualrly?)
willingness of estates to wait for the best times to harvest and risk crop due to weatherTHUS resulting
wines may be made from varying % of botrytis and late harvested fruit
after picking, handled as a white wine - SS/concrete/barriques fermented then aged for varying period stop
quality typically barrel-fermented for best integration of oak and fruit with high % new oak, and barrel aged
for 18-36 months for top wines for gentle oxidation to add complexity
new oak usu 30-50% though 100% for Ch. d’Yquem
Appellations:
Bordeaux
Graves AOC: Graves Superieures AOC - late harvest and/or botrytis-affected sweet wines
Sauternes AOC, Barsac AOC in southern Graves: for typically botrytized sweet wines from
Semillon - 80% plantings, Sauv Blanc and tiny amount of Muscadelle; conditions to produce
noble rot: cold Ciron River meets warm Garone River -> morning mists, then burnt off by mid
day with sunshine in the afternoon drying the grapes to avoid grey rot
Sainte-Croix-du-Mont AOC, Loupiac AOC, Premieres Cotes de Bordeaux AOC: may be botrytis
or late harvest
Alsace
Alsace Vendange Tardive (Grand Cru) AOC: no min for VT to have botrytis or to be sweet but
min sugar level at harvest gives 14-15% abv if fermented dry | min sugar Muscat or Riesling at
235 g/L, Pinot Gris or Gewurztraminer at 257 g/L
Alsace Selection de Grains Nobles (Grand Cru) AOC: SDG must be made from botrytis and be
sweet | min sugar Muscat or Riesling at 257 g/L, Pinot Gris or Gewurztraminer at 306g/L
Anjou: the River Layon and tributaries help to create misty conditions ideal for spread of botrytis at the
end of growing season
Coteaux du Layon AOC -> Coteaux du Layon AOC Premier Cru Chaume
large, on steep slopes, right bank of Layon River
specialize in wines from botrytis affected Chenin Blanc <- if botrytis fails to form, wines
may be dried on vine
Couteaux du Layon AOC + named village has stricter rules
Bonnezeaux AOC within Coteaux du Layon AOC (? not sure if botrytis)
Quarts de Chaume AOC -> Quarts de Chaume Grand Cru AOC (? not sure if botrytis)
Saumur:
Coteaux de Saumur AOC: sweet Chenin Blanc wines are made as with overripe grapes,
with/without botrytis; lusciously sweet, high acid
Germany
Auslese: some affected by botrytis, last category that can be dry >= 7%
Beereauslese: berries need NOT be botrytized but typical
Trokenbeerenauslese: grapes must be affected by botrytis, shrivelled raisin-like
Rheingau: Rhine also wider here, modeates temperature -> reduce frost risks, also increases
humidity providing conditions perfect for botrytis development in autumn: whites ~85%
plantings, Riesling leads at 78% plantings, majority in dry styles, but also reputed for botrytised
sweet wines - country wide trend for drier styles arguably started here
Austria
Niederosterreich/lower Austria: north Weinviertel DAC: 100% Gruner, Reserve: min 13% abv,
allow some oak aging and/or botrytis for richness and complexity but still dry
around Danube - Wachau, Kremstal, Kamptal, Traisental, Wagram
Wachau: north bank of Danube, steep slopes, south facing, stony terraces, gneiss and loess,
low rainfall, some years humidity from Danube causes botrytis - may not be desired for dry
wine
Kremstal: warm Pannonian plain, warmer than Wachau - Zweigelt
Kemptal: less humid than Kremstal so botrytis rare Warm breezes from Pannonian plain &
cooling airfrom Bohemian Massif; Brundlmayer, Hirsch
Burgenland around humid Neusiedlersee: The Austrian town of Rust near the
Neusiedlersee is known for its Ausbruch (the Austrian equivalent of Aszú) dessert wines
from Chardonnay, Muskateller, Sauvignon Blanc and Welschriesling. Furmint was once
more dominant here, reflecting the historical link between Rust and Tokaj, and is now
making a minor comeback. Pink dessert wines have even been made from Pinot Noir.
Hungary - aszu (sweet from shrivelled and botrytis-affected grapes): Rivers Tisza and Bodrog (floods
regularly creating shallow marshes and water meadows -> moist air ->morning fogs in autumn, ideal for
botrytis; warm sunny afternoon control the development of botrytis,and limit grey rot) meet in the town
of Tokaj
Late Harvest: lower % of botrytized grapes than for Aszu, little or no oak
Eszencia: from tiny vol of free run juice from Aszu grapes 450g/L
Szamorodni - Polish "as it comes" - this traditional style is made from whole bunches with
varying amounts of healthy and botrytized grapes
dry (szaraz): aged under flor much thinner than Sherry for ~ 10 years without topping up ->
protected from excessive oxidation -> nutty and green apple flavors | similar to Vin Jaune
(Jura) [Savignin fermented to dryness, aged in barrels with headspace with a thin flor "le
voile" yeast unmoved for >6 years then used to make oxidative Savagin or blend with
Chard, cellar location and condition crucial to flor dev]/Vinsanto (santorini)
[51%Assyrtiko, 2weeks in sun, 2yrs oak aging in large casks not topped to encourage
oxidation, 200-300g/L RS]
sweet (edes): more common, 45g/L most 90-110g/L, 6 months oak aging, 500ml Tokaji
bottle, bests are just as Aszu but fresher
Veneto - Amarone - appassimento
Umbria - sufficient dry autumns that allow picking for late harvested and botrytised styles
Orvieto DOC: 60% Trebbiano Toscano and/or Grechetto, dry, off-dry, and sweet wines labelled as
muffa nobile or vendemmia tardiva
Southwest France
Monbazillac AOC: sweet whites only, late harvest or botrytis, between River Dordogne and one
of its tributaries + funnelling of moist air createshumidity, burnt off by sun in late summer early
fall -> condition for noble rot, must hand pick in a number of passes through vineyard, >= 80% of
principal varieties Sauvignon Blanc, Sauvignon Gris, Sémillon and Muscadellemax yield 30
hL/ha, Fermentation in barrel with new oak much less common than in Sauternes
Australia
Griffith in Riverina of New South Wales: long reputed for excellent luscious botrytised Semillon
as though hotdry summers greater rainfall/humidity in autumn, morning mists, warm/sunny
afternoons,ideal for noble rot
New York state
Vignoles: quality hybrid
Washington state Riesling for botrytised/ice wine
South Africa - premium Chenin Blanc - small amount of Botrytis might be allowed, none for high vol
Chenin
District: Elgin - southeast close to Cape Town, inland plateau 400m much cooler than other parts
of SA due to alt, cloud cover, ocean influence, high rainfall allows for botrytis-affected sweet
wine production; SB, Chard, Riesling, PN, Merlot, Shiraz more fragrant fresher style cf inland;
Paul Cluver, Richard Kershaw Wines
DRY CLIMATE: NO NOBLE ROT eg Central Otago
Grapes prone to botrytis - soft skin, closed bunch
Merlot
Semillon
Pinot Noir
Pinot Gris, Gewurztraminer
Melon de Bourgogne/Muscadet
Chenin Blanc (also millerandage)
Grolleau Noir
Sauv Blanc
Syrah
Marsanne
Tannat
Trousseau
Furmint
Marzemino, best ripest from Trentino DOC subzone Ziresi due to full sun exposure and calcareous/clay
and basalt
Moscato Rosa
Garganega
Corvina
Sangiovese
Verdicchio
Aglianico - late ripening, prone
Nerello Mascalese
Viura/Macabeo/Macabeu: late budding/ripening
Welschriesling mainly in Steiermark usu made into fresh neutral unoaked dry wines of ok to good
quality, planting in decline bc decrease in consumption of simple dry style; large planting in Burgenland
around humid Neusiedlersee; thin skin: affected by noble rot, for sweet wines BA or TBA
Zweigelt/Blaufrankisch - resistant to frost or rot
Vignoles: quality hybrid in NYS, high acid, used for off-dry wines, along with Traminette
Grapes RESISTANT to botrytis
Piedirosso - thick skin, open bunches, resistant
Montepulciano - resistant, resistant to downy mildew but not powdery
Fiano - late ripening, thick skin, resistant, but prone to 2 mildews
Refosco - late ripening, resistant to botrytis
Riesling - resistant?? In Germany section its susceptible
Petit/Gros Manseng - resistant
