What's in a name? Why botrytis is code for delish

Dr John Forrest is a Riesling lover and that shines through in a range of the wines he and his daughter, Beth, make. They span the gamut of dry to luscious, including one of our most popular sweet wines in store - the delicious five year old and flavoursome 2017 Forrest Estate Botrytised Riesling. 

This little half bottle of deliciousness tastes of honeyed lime zest and green apples and it has a high level of botrytis. But what is botrytis? It may not sound appetising to hear that botrytis is a form of rot, often known as 'noble rot' because it can make grapes and wines taste utterly succulent and super concentrated in flavour. This 'rot' shrivels the grapes, concentrating the flavours of the juice inside them by creating less liquid to ferment into wine, but a far more concentrated, sweet tasting one, as a result of the shrivel. Naturally, this shrivelling process occurs on the vines and it takes time, so botrytis effected grapes are always harvested later than other grapes that are picked for making dry wine. 

Botrytis sounds better when it is described as 'noble rot' but aside from the names used, it's all about more. More intensity of flavour, more grape sugar, more mouthfeel and texture, more agreeability because sugar is a preservative. Another natural preservative in grapes is acidity and that's where Riesling comes in a treat. It works well as a grape for making sweet wines because it has naturally high acidity, which balances the flavours and sweetness. 

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2017 Forrest Estate Botrytised Riesling RRP $28.99 Special $25.99