noble rot
noun Winemaking.
the fungus Botrytis cinerea, which is cultivated in some winemaking processes, especially in the making of French Sauternes, where the ripened grapes become shriveled as a result of its introduction, thereby concentrating the juice and increasing the sugar content.
Also called
noble mold.
Origin of noble rot
First recorded in 1920–25
Words nearby noble rot
noble art,
noble fir,
noble gas,
noble metal,
noble opal,
noble rot,
noble savage,
noble-minded,
nobleman,
noblesse,
noblesse oblige
British Dictionary definitions for noble rot
noble rot
noun
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
Word Origin for noble rot
C20: translation of French
pourriture noble