There is a kind of wine, which is as rare as ice wine, but with a little more complex flavor than ice wine. If Icewine is the beautiful and pleasant Zhao Feiyan, then it is the smiling Yang Yuhuan.
Because of its high price, it is known as the liquid gold in wine. It is an indispensable must-have for refined life and a stunner in the cup of a person with taste. It was once praised as “the king of wine” by Louis XIV of France .
It is noble rot wine.
1. “Rottenness” lies in the raw materials
Grapes used to make botrytized wine must be infected with a fungus called botrytis. The essence of noble rot is a fungus called Botrytis cinerea, which is harmless to the human body and can only form in a suitable environment.
Grapes infected by noble rot develop a layer of gray fuzz on the surface. Delicate mycelium penetrates the peel, creating pores through which moisture from the pulp evaporates.
2. “Expensive” lies in its rarity
The production of noble rot wine is not an easy task.
Before being infected with noble rot, the grapes must be healthy and ripe, which requires that the local environment is at least suitable for the brewing of ordinary types of wine. In addition, the growth of noble rot requires a more unique climate.
The wet and foggy mornings in autumn are conducive to the formation of noble rot, and the sunny and dry afternoons can ensure that the grapes do not rot and can evaporate water.
The grape varieties planted not only need to be suitable for the local climate but also need to have thin skins to facilitate the infection of noble rot.
Such strict requirements make raw materials rare and rare.
3. Well-known noble rot sweet white wine
To successfully brew high-quality noble rot liqueur, it is necessary to meet multiple conditions such as certain climate, grape variety and brewing technology at the same time. However, there are very few production areas in the world that can meet the requirements, and the most famous ones include the following:
1. Sauternes, France
Botrytized dessert wines in Sauternes are usually made from a blend of three grapes: Semillon, Sauvignon Blanc and Muscadelle.
Among them, Semillon, which is thin-skinned and susceptible to noble rot, is dominant. Sauvignon Blanc mainly provides refreshing acidity to balance the high sweetness. A small amount of Muscadelle can add rich fruity and floral aromas.
Overall, these dessert wines are full-bodied, high in alcohol, and very full-bodied, with aromas of stone fruit, citrus fruit, and honey, marmalade, and vanilla.
2. Tokaj, Hungary
According to legend, the Tokaj (Tokaj) production area of Hungary is the first place to brew noble rot liqueur. The noble rot wine here is called “Tokaji Aszu” (Tokaji Aszu), which was once used by the Sun King Louis XIV. (Louis XIV) known as “the king of wine, the wine of kings”.
Tokaji Asu noble rot wine is mainly made of three grapes: Furmint, Harslevelu and Sarga Muskotaly (Muscat Blanc a Petits Grains). Brewed, usually 500ml, divided into 4 levels of sweetness from 3 to 6 baskets (Puttonyos).
These wines are deep amber in color, full-bodied, with high acidity, intense aromas of dried fruit, spices and honey, and great aging potential.
3. Germany and Austria
In addition to the two most popular botrytized wines, Sauternes and Tokaji Aso, Germany and Austria also produce high-quality botrytized dessert wines – Beerenauslese and Beerenauslese. A selection of raisin wines (Trockenbeerenauslese).
German botrytized liqueur wines are made from Riesling and are usually low in alcohol, with high enough acidity to balance the sweetness, showing the delicate fruit flavor and mineral aroma of Riesling.
Thanks to the unique microclimate, the Welsh Riesling in the Neusiedlersee region of Burgenland, Austria, is successfully infected with noble rot almost every year, thus producing internationally renowned high-quality noble wines. Rotten liqueur.
In addition, Chenin Blanc from the Loire Valley in France, as well as Alsace, Australia’s Riverina, California in the United States, Japan in Asia, and Israel can also be produced Good quality noble rot wine.
Post time: May-22-2023