Sauternes in France, Tocaji in Hungary and... Mazara del Vallo in Sicily. Three apparently distant locations united by a natural phenomenon that almost smacks of a miracle: the appearance in the vineyard of the extremely rare 'noble mould'also known as Botrytis cinerea thanks to which mulled wine can be produced.
These are therefore not wines 'gone bad', as the name would suggest, but sweet wines of particular value and, often, of great value (including economic value).
What is Mildewed Wine
The so-called moulded o botrytised are generally made from late harvest grapes that are slightly dried and dehydrated on the vine. These are attacked by a particular strain of grey mould, also known as noble rot, which forms on the berries in the presence of specific conditions of alternating humidity, heat and ventilation.
The fungus responsible for botrytis attacks the berry, causing its partial dehydration (with a reduction in volume of 50-60%). It feeds on the sugars present in order to multiply and produces glycerine, at the same time modifying and concentrating the aromatic spectrum of the grapes, first, and of the wine to be made from them, later.
Harvesting and production
The production of a botrytised wine is among the most complicated and time-consuming in terms of time and painstaking manual work. Moreover, it is unpredictable and not at all predictable, given the importance of the vintage factor, which influences the appearance of botrytis in no small measure.
In the vineyard bunches affected by Botrytis cinerea are selected, often individual berries. Therefore, harvesting can take up to several weeks and require countless passages, in order to pick grapes or grapes with sufficient mould development. It is clear, therefore, that the yield per hectare is rather limited for this type of wine.
In the cellar, the fermentation process of grapes affected by noble rot is very slow, and can sometimes last for a year. The time is also extended for ageing, which generally requires a few years in wood and then a prolonged period in the bottle.
The rarity, the small quantities and the enormous amount of work behind the production of this noble type of wine is such that it justifies the often significant costs, which however testify to the preciousness of the final product.
Features
Wines characterised by noble rot are of bright, deep gold colour with amber hues for the most prestigious labels. On the nose they are unmistakable for the breadth and intensity of their aromas. On the palate they can also vary according to the time and method of ageing. However, they are generally recognisable by notes of honey and orange marmalade, the spicy notes of saffron and vanilla, the aromas of dehydrated yellow fruit, caramel and hazelnut.
Although belonging to the large family of late harvests and passito wines, these wines have sometimes low alcohol contents (between 6 and 14 degrees) and a tactile mouthfeel of fullness, opulence and sweetness that is never cloying.
They go perfectly with desserts, especially the dry pastries. However, they are at their best with the mature and blue cheeses, including piquant onessuch as Gorgonzola and Roquefort. They should be served not very cold, between 8 and 12 °C.
Moulded wine in the world
The muffato wine par excellence, by history and tradition even before its fame, is the Tocaji Hungarian, made from Furmint grapes. The most famous, and also the most expensive, is the French Sauternesbased on Semillon, Sauvignon Blanc and Muscadelle grapes.
The historical versions produced in Austria and Germany are unmistakable: Trockenbeerenauslese or TBAwhich literally means "harvest from selected dried grapes'. and often attacked by botrytis. They are produced from Riesling grapes, but not only.
Moulded wine in Italy
In Italy, blended wines are rare and hard to findand are often linked to the passion of individual producers. The most emblematic case is certainly the Muffato della Sala di Antinori. There are, however terroir particularly well suited, such as the Orvieto area on the border between Umbria and Lazio. Here there is the only Italian DOC, Orvieto, with 'noble rot' among the types of wine listed in the regulations, and produced with Grechetto and Trebbiano grapes.
In Sicily, back in 1991, the Tasca d'Almerita company recognised botrytis on a parcel of Chardonnay on the Regaleali estate, and produced a very small batch of bottles of wine, 'Chardonnay muffato', for that vintage only.
To date, the only example of mouldy wine is our Grillodoro,a late harvest of Grillo grapes, characterised by Botrytis cinerea attack, which has been produced since 2006.
The vineyard overlooks the Mediterranean Sea and the peculiar position of the rows favours the development of noble rot, since exposes the grapes to alternating humidity, generated by the sea, sun and breeze. It is a a phenomenon more unique than rarewhich makes our Grillodoro, a very precious nectar. That is why it bears such an evocative and symbolic name, recalling the gold of the Sicilian sun bottled for a few, sought-after admirers.
