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late harvest

A wine term referring to wines made from grapes picked toward the end of the harvest (usually late fall) when they are very ripe. Such grapes have a higher sugar content (minimum of 24° BRIX), particularly if they’ve been infected with BOTRYTIS CINEREA, a desirable fungus that shrivels the grape and thereby concentrates the sugar. The terms Select Late Harvest and Special Select Late Harvest refer to wines made from grapes picked with higher sugar-content minimums—28° and 35° Brix, respectively. A high Brix measurement can translate to a sweet wine, to a wine that’s high in ALCOHOL, or to one with both characteristics. Generally, Select Late Harvest and Special Select Late Harvest wines have a RESIDUAL SUGAR content, some ranging as high as 28 percent. Late harvest wines are noted for their rich, deep, honeyed flavors and are customarily served after the main course, often with dessert or with cheeses such as Roquefort. The most popular grapes used for these DESSERT WINES are GEWÜRZTRAMINER, RIESLING, SAUVIGNON BLANC, and SÉMILLON. 
Related Links: Botrytis cinerea, alcohol, residual sugar (RS), dessert wine
© Copyright Barron's Educational Services, Inc.
1995 based on THE WINE LOVER'S COMPANION,
by Ron Herbst and Sharon Tyler Herbst.

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