Sweet Wine

Question 1

Noble Rot

Answer 1

Causes by Boytrytis fungus. Same as grey rot, but develops in humid conditions.

1. Grapes must be ripe and healthy.
2. Humid misty mornings & sunny dry afternoons.
3. Fungus punctures skin, leaving holes.
4. Sunny afternoons causes water to evapourate, concentrating acids, flavour and sugar.
5. Fungus creates own flavours of marmalade, honey, ryebread, apricot, dried fruit.
6. Expensive and labour intensive to harvest. Non uniform spread. Doesn’t occur every year.

Sauternes, Tokaj and BA/TBA.

Question 2

VT & SGN

Question 3

Tokaj

Answer 3

NE Hungary (Carpathians).
Moderate climate. Rivers provide humidity for noble rot.

Furmint main grape. Harslevelu also. Both late ripening, premium quality. Sarga Muskotaly (aromatic). Can all be made into dry wines.

Aszú (rotten - noble rot) grapes used to make sweet wine.

Tokaji Aszu:
Base wine made from healthy grapes. Aszu grapes added during or after fermentation. Maceration lasts 12-60 hours. Aszu grapes uncrushed to avoid bitter flavours. Matured in oak.

The amount of Aszu grapes used determines the sweetness (Baskets - Puttonyos 3-6). Min sugar now 120g/l which is 5 Puttonyos).

Orange peel, apricots & honey.

Tokaji Eszencia: v rare. Free run aszu juice. 5% or lower. 100+ age.

Modern sweet: Late Harvest. Noble rot grapes fermented as in Sauternes or TBA. Matured for less time.

Question 4

Sauternes

Question 5

Rutherglen Muscat

Answer 5

Low-medium acidity.
Luscious. Amber to brown.

Raisining adds complexity.

Fermentation on skins. Draining, pressing and fortification at 1-2% abv so v high residual sugar.

Oxidative ageing in old, large wood. Can last decades.

Question 6

Muscat Beaumes de Venise

Answer 6

Low-medium acidity.
Floral and aromatic, sweet but not luscious.
From southern rhone.

Picked when ripe then crushed. Some skin contact to increase aromatic intensity.

Fermentation is cool and stopped by adding 96% grape spirit. Kept in intert sealed vessels to retain freshness.