Late Harvest Chenin Blanc

A South African late harvest Chenin Blanc made from noble rot grapes is a lush, golden dessert wine with intense honey, apricot and quince notes. Produced in small quantities, it’s prized but not widely available. Its vibrant acidity makes it perfect with blue cheese, fruit tarts, panna cotta or foie gras.

Noble rot is a beneficial form of the fungus Botrytis cinerea that gently dehydrates ripe grapes, concentrating their sugars, acids and aromas. It creates intensely flavorful wines with honeyed, apricot-like richness and vibrant acidity. By reducing water and boosting complexity, noble rot transforms sweet wines into something far more layered, rare and expressive.

Famous noble rot wines include Sauternes, Tokaji Aszú, German Beerenauslese and Trockenbeerenauslese, as well as Austria’s Ausbruch and some Loire Chenin Blancs.