In 2025, the judges at the Melbourne Royal Wine Show awarded Millon Wines' Botrytis Riesling the trophy for Best Sweet White Wine. It is recognition the wine has earned — but for Head Winemaker Angus Wardlaw and the Millon family, it is also the result of years of patience, careful estate management, and an unusual partnership with one of winemaking's most unpredictable natural forces.
That force is Botrytis cinerea. Most viticulturalists spend their careers trying to keep it out of the vineyard. In the right conditions, it produces the finest sweet wines in the world.
What Is Botrytis Riesling?
Botrytis riesling is a sweet white wine made from Riesling grapes infected by Botrytis cinerea — a naturally occurring fungus that, under a very specific set of conditions, transforms a grape rather than simply destroying it.
In wet, humid conditions, Botrytis cinerea causes grey rot, spreading destructively across bunches and ruining a vintage. But when conditions cycle correctly — misty, humid mornings that allow the fungus to take hold on grape skins, followed by dry, sunny afternoons that slow its spread — the result is something winemakers call "noble rot."
Noble rot punctures the grape skin without breaking the flesh. Moisture evaporates slowly through these microscopic punctures, concentrating the sugars, acids, and aromatic compounds left behind. The grapes shrivel on the vine and look, frankly, unpleasant. What they contain is extraordinary.
The wines produced from botrytised grapes are intensely sweet and complex — layered with honey, dried apricot, orange marmalade, and citrus peel, underpinned by the naturally high acidity that makes Riesling one of the world's most age-worthy white wine varieties. That acidity is essential. Without it, the sweetness would be cloying rather than refined.
Botrytis-affected wines are made in wine regions across the world. The most celebrated are Sauternes from Bordeaux, Tokaji from Hungary, and the Trockenbeerenauslese wines of Germany and Austria. In Australia, the cool-climate regions of South Australia — particularly Eden Valley and Clare Valley — produce some of the finest botrytis rieslings made anywhere.
Why Botrytis Riesling Is Rare
Botrytis riesling cannot simply be planned. The fungus requires a near-improbable sequence of weather conditions to develop in its noble form rather than its destructive one.
Humid mornings must allow the spores to take hold on ripe grape skins. These must then be followed by dry, warm afternoons that allow gradual dehydration without encouraging the fungus to spread too aggressively across the whole bunch. If weather turns wet and stays wet, the botrytis spreads destructively and the vintage is lost. If conditions stay too dry throughout the season, the fungus never develops at all.
The window in which noble rot forms correctly is fleeting — sometimes only days in late summer or early autumn. A winemaker working with botrytis must monitor the vineyard constantly and harvest at precisely the right moment. Too early and the fruit lacks concentration; too late and destructive rot takes over.
This unpredictability is precisely why a well-made botrytis riesling commands the respect — and price — it does. When the conditions and the fruit align, the result can be genuinely extraordinary.
Estate-Grown in South Australia: Millon Wines' Approach
Millon Wines is a family-owned estate winery with vineyards across three of South Australia's finest wine regions: Eden Valley, Barossa Valley, and Clare Valley. Growing all grapes on-site gives Angus Wardlaw the kind of precise control that producing botrytis riesling demands — he knows every row of every vineyard and can make harvest decisions based on what the fruit is telling him, not what a schedule says.
The philosophy at Millon is straightforward: "Good wines are made; great wines are grown." The work happens in the vineyard first. In the winery, the goal is minimal intervention — allowing the character of the fruit, and the vintage conditions, to express itself without being obscured by technique.
When Botrytis cinerea visits the vineyard in the right form, Angus watches and waits. The trophy result at the 2025 Melbourne Royal Wine Show — Best Sweet White Wine — confirms that the estate approach, and the conditions of that vintage, produced a botrytis riesling of exceptional quality.
Tasting Notes: What to Expect
- Colour: Deep golden to amber, with beautiful viscosity in the glass
- Nose: Honey, dried apricot, orange marmalade, lemon curd, and beeswax — complex, layered, and inviting
- Palate: Concentrated stone fruit — peach, preserved apricot — with candied citrus peel and hints of ginger spice; the natural Riesling acidity keeps the wine fresh rather than heavy
- Finish: Long and clean, with notes of honeycomb and toasted almond that linger
How to Serve Botrytis Riesling
Temperature: Serve lightly chilled at approximately 8–10°C. Too cold mutes the aromatics; room temperature makes the wine feel heavy and syrupy.
Glass: A standard white wine glass works well — the wider bowl allows the aromatics to open. A smaller dessert wine glass is equally appropriate.
Pour size: Botrytis riesling is rich and concentrated. Serve in smaller pours than a standard table wine — around 60–75ml per serve. This is a wine to sip and contemplate, not drink freely.
Decanting: Not necessary, though the wine benefits from being opened 20–30 minutes before serving to allow the aromatics to open fully.
What to Eat with Botrytis Riesling
The combination of sweetness and acidity in botrytis riesling makes it one of the most food-versatile sweet wines available. The best pairings either echo the wine's richness or deliberately contrast it with salt and intensity.
The classic match: blue cheese Blue cheese and botrytis riesling is one of the great wine and food combinations. The salt and pungency of a good blue — Gorgonzola, Roquefort, Stilton, or a well-made Australian blue — amplify the wine's honey and citrus notes in a way that is genuinely revelatory. Serve with honeycomb on the side.
Rich pâtés and terrines Foie gras, chicken liver pâté, or duck terrine — the fat and richness of these dishes is cut beautifully by the wine's acidity, and the wine's sweetness echoes the richness of the dish.
Fruit-based desserts Apricot tarte tatin, lemon tart, poached pears, or crème brûlée are natural companions. Avoid very chocolate-heavy desserts, which can clash with the wine's delicate aromatics.
Soft, creamy cheeses Brie or Camembert served with quince paste or fresh honeycomb is an effortless match — the creaminess of the cheese provides a perfect backdrop for the wine's complexity.
Asian-spiced dishes Dishes with ginger, star anise, five spice, or lemongrass echo the wine's own spice and citrus notes beautifully. Thai-influenced desserts and Southeast Asian sweets work particularly well.
Simple and perfect: a cheese board Botrytis riesling doesn't require a formal occasion. Served alongside a small board of blue cheese, creamy brie, honeycomb, dried apricots, and salted almonds — it is exceptional.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is botrytis riesling? Botrytis riesling is a sweet wine made from Riesling grapes affected by Botrytis cinerea, a naturally occurring fungus known as "noble rot." Under the right conditions, the fungus concentrates the grape's sugars, acids, and aromatic compounds as moisture evaporates, producing a rich, honey-sweet wine with natural acidity that prevents it from being cloying.
Is botrytis riesling sweet? Yes. Botrytis riesling is a genuinely sweet wine with residual sugar levels significantly higher than a dry table wine. However, the high natural acidity of Riesling balances the sweetness, producing a wine that is rich and complex rather than heavy.
What does botrytis riesling taste like? A quality botrytis riesling typically shows honey, dried apricot, orange marmalade, lemon curd, and beeswax on the nose. On the palate, expect concentrated stone fruit sweetness with candied citrus peel and gentle ginger spice, balanced by a fresh, clean acidity. The finish is long and complex.
How should you drink botrytis riesling? Serve lightly chilled at 8–10°C in a white wine glass. Pour smaller serves than a standard table wine — around 60–75ml — as the wine is rich and concentrated. It pairs beautifully with blue cheese, pâté, or fruit-based desserts, or can be enjoyed on its own.
Which Australian winery makes award-winning botrytis riesling? Millon Wines, a family-owned estate winery in South Australia, produces a Botrytis Riesling that won Best Sweet White Wine at the 2025 Melbourne Royal Wine Show. The wine is available directly from Millon Wines at $38.
Can you cellar botrytis riesling? Yes — quality botrytis riesling is one of the most age-worthy wines in the world. Store in a cool, dark environment and revisit in 5–15 years; the wine will develop deeper complexity as honey and dried fruit notes deepen and the sweetness integrates further.
Where does Millon's botrytis riesling come from? Millon Wines is an estate winery with vineyards across the Eden Valley, Barossa Valley, and Clare Valley in South Australia — wine regions that produce some of Australia's finest Riesling.
Try the Trophy Winner
Millon Wines' Botrytis Riesling is available to order online — shop it here — or experience it in person at our Barossa Valley cellar door in Tanunda.
Browse the full Millon Riesling collection to explore more estate-grown SA Riesling styles.
