noble rot


noble rot

n. A parasitic fungus (Botrytis cinerea) that attacks ripe grapes and causes an increase in their sugar content. Certain wines, such as the French Sauternes and the Hungarian Tokay, are produced from such grapes.

noble rot

n (Brewing) winemaking a condition in which grapes are deliberately affected by Botrytis cinerea, resulting in the shrivelling of the ripened grapes, which in turn leads to an increased sugar content [C20: translation of French pourriture noble]