The noble rot is a Champignon, Botrytis cinerea which develops on bays of Raisin under certain conditions of moisture and sunning. This mushroom can, under other climatic conditions, being called gray Pourriture, damaging harvest then.

The effect of the botrytis when it develops with wonder, is to nourish water of the Raisin and thus to concentrate the sugar grape. This mushroom also has consequences on the flavors of the wine (nose typical " botrytisé"). A " liqueur-like of Botrytis" is not a " dry wine sucré". Sugars of noble rot are completed, they are in mouth of a great purity.

The vineyards of Sauternes and the Loire in France are most known to produce this type of botrytized wines.

To produce them, the presence of a river is essential to cause the morning moisture of November and October, supporting the development of this mushroom. In Sauternes, it is the Ciron which plays this part. There exists of course of other vineyards where this mushroom is active: Tokay, in Hungary, in is another notable example.

The botrytis is present as of the flowering of the vine in bays. It is necessary to respect its development and to control it June at August. Certain vineyards detest of this fact any pulverization of anti-fungic products. Only the ways in green make it possible to control its development which is wished only when the bays reached a beautiful maturity.

With the autumn, the skin of the botrytized bays surmûries becomes purplished and their pulp is transformed into gilded jam.

Example of wine botrytized

• Liqueur-like of Sauternais
• Monbazillac
• Slopes of Thatch the Tailboard
• Quarters
• Tokay of Hungary