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Noble Rot Infects Some Of The World’s Greatest Dessert Wines
Bunch rot is the bane of the winegrower’s existence. However, one fungus, Botrytis cinerea or noble rot, is required to make some of the world’s most delicious and expensive dessertwines. Botrytis bunch rot is responsible for annual crop losses of 1-10% in California.However, proper climatic conditions transform this lowly bunch rot into “noble rot”. Noble rotdehydrates and shrivels the healthy grapes, providing the raw materials for the decadentlysweet Sauternes of France and Germany’s exotic Trockenbeerenauslese and Berenauslese,as well as others.
 
Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon are thick-skinned, loose-clusteredvarieties and are therefore less prone to rot.The fungi are a fascinating group of living organisms. 100,000 species have already beenidentified and twice that number may exist.One fungus, Penicillium roqueforti, was first found in caves near the French village of Roquefortand, as the story goes, cheese left in a cave a few weeks was later found to have acquired a tart,pungently fragrant character from the fungus infection. Today, only cheeses from around thesecaves can use the name Roquefort. Similarly, the fungus Penicillium camemberti givesCamembert cheese its unique flavor.
What’s this got to do with wine?
There’s a group of over 50 different parasitic fungi that grow on grapes, producing what is calledbunch rot. Growers spray to avoid bunch rot, and moldy grapes account for considerable croploss each year. Bunch rot organisms emit unpleasant odors. Sour rot, a bacterial/bunch rotcomplex, produces acetic acid imparting a vinegary smell. Aspergillis growth gives off a “smellysock” odor, while Penicillium smells just plain rotten, making these grapes unsuitable for winemaking. These three common bunch rots are secondary pathogens, growing due to damagewhere grapes split naturally, or from growing too closely together in a cluster.
Perfect conditions
The Botrytis spores are present in the vineyards throughout the year, remaining dormant untilproper weather conditions of cool temperatures and high humidity prevail. Not only must specificweather conditions prevail, but they must do so at the right time of the season. The rain mustarrive when the grapes are at full maturity of 22-25% sugar. Below 20%, there is too much acidityin the grape. The morning fog from a nearby body of water can settle on the grape surfaceinitiating an “infection”. The fungus pokes minute holes in the berries’ skin allowing water toevaporate, causing shriveling. Hot weather (above 90 degrees F.) will dry up the infection andcause raisining. However, continued wet weather or high humidity following the initial onset of Botrytis results in a variety of fungal infections without the dehydration of the fruit. After this cycleof morning sun and afternoon fog continues for 3-10 days, grapes dry and shrivel into whatresemble fuzzy raisins. Clusters or even single berries infected with noble rot are harvestedindividually, hence the term “special select late harvest”.Favorable temperature and humidity make further noble rot occur and successive harvests aremade. The selection process is perhaps the most important step because when the conditionsare right for Botrytis they are also right for undesirable bunch rots. The infection must be cleanBotrytis because other bunch rots have a mustiness or moldiness like stinky cheese. Botrytis(noble rot) flavors are best when they are in harmony with ripe fruit flavors. 
Noble rot produces the “Nectar of the Gods”
An attribute of these late harvest wines is their dark color. Botrytis mold (noble rot) produces anenzyme that causes browning, giving the wines their yellow color, which intensifies to a goldenhue as they age. Dessert wines made from botrytized grapes have considerably greater aging
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harryo

Bring it on! Usually do not like intense sweetness. I do like Camembert and Brie with dessert wine, so now it will never be the same. Uhmm, fungus.

reply03 / 11 / 2008
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