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.

Which Australian winery makes award-winning Botrytis Riesling?

Millon Wines, a family-owned estate winery in South Australia, produces a Botrytis Riesling that won the Trophy for Best Sweet White Wine at the 2025 Melbourne Royal Wine Show. The wine is made from estate-grown grapes across Eden Valley and Clare Valley.

What does Botrytis Riesling taste like?

A quality Botrytis Riesling shows honey, dried apricot, orange marmalade and lemon curd 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 serve Botrytis Riesling?

Serve lightly chilled at 8 to 10 degrees Celsius in a white wine glass. Pour smaller serves of around 60 to 75ml as the wine is rich and concentrated. It pairs beautifully with blue cheese, pâté, fruit-based desserts, or can be enjoyed on its own.

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2023 Vintage

Botrytis Riesling

$38.00

| Club Price: $31.16

In stock

Description

Trophy Winner — Best Sweet White Wine, 2025 Melbourne Royal Wine Show. Millon Wines' Botrytis Riesling is an intensely honeyed, lusciously sweet dessert wine made from estate-grown South Australian Riesling grapes affected by Botrytis cinerea (noble rot). Explore the full Riesling range →

Originating from the serene lower reaches of our Eden Valley estate near the dam, this secluded Riesling spot fosters the ideal conditions for botrytis cinerea. The resulting wine boasts a complex profile with vibrant honey, lime zest, and ginger aromas. On the palate, it unfolds with rich layers of ripe citrus and apricot, all perfectly balanced by an enticing acidity.

Vegan Friendly

Technical Notes

Variety: Riesling (100%)
Vintage: 2023
Region: Eden Valley
Alcohol: 10.5%

Tasting Notes

Colour: Deep golden to amber, with beautiful viscosity in the glass
Nose: Honey, dried apricot, orange marmalade, lemon curd and beeswax
Palate: Concentrated stone fruit — peach, preserved apricot — with candied citrus peel and hints of ginger spice; natural Riesling acidity keeps the wine fresh rather than heavy
Finish: Long and clean, with notes of honeycomb and toasted almond

How to Serve

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. Pairs beautifully with blue cheese, pâté, fruit-based desserts, or enjoyed on its own.

Cellaring: quality Botrytis Riesling develops complexity for years in a cool, dark environment.

FAQ

What is Botrytis Riesling?

Botrytis Riesling is a sweet dessert wine made from Riesling grapes naturally infected by <em>Botrytis cinerea</em> — a beneficial fungus known as "noble rot." Under the right conditions, the fungus concentrates the grape's sugars, acids, and flavours as moisture evaporates through the grape skin, producing an intensely honeyed wine with high natural acidity that prevents it from being cloying.

Australia's cool-climate South Australian regions — particularly Eden Valley and Clare Valley — produce some of the finest Botrytis Riesling in the world. Millon's estate vineyards in these regions are the source of this trophy-winning wine.

Winemaking

The grapes for the 2023 Eden Valley Botrytis Riesling were hand-picked late in the season to ensure optimal botrytis infection. The grapes were gently pressed to extract the juice. The juice was then cold-settled before undergoing a slow, cool fermentation in stainless steel tanks. This controlled fermentation process preserved the aromatic complexity and vibrant acidity characteristic of Riesling. Post-fermentation, the wine was aged on its fine lees for several months. This aging process added texture and complexity to the wine, enhancing its rich, honeyed profile. Before bottling, the wine was carefully filtered to maintain its clarity and purity. The final wine was bottled under screw cap to preserve its freshness and longevity.

Winemaker's Notes

The 2023 Eden Valley Botrytis Riesling is a luxurious dessert wine with a rich golden hue. It offers an bouquet of honeyed apricots, ripe peaches, candied citrus peel, and a hint of ginger spice. On the palate, flavours of dried apricots, marmalade, and quince are balanced by lively acidity, The finish is long and refreshing, perfectly balancing sweetness and acidity.

Food Pairing

Apricot Tart, Apple pie

Download Tasting Note

Vintage Conditions

The 2023 vintage in Eden Valley was marked by a cool and wet growing season, providing ideal conditions for the development of Botrytis cinerea, or "noble rot." This unique climatic circumstance allowed to produce intensely concentrated and flavourful Riesling grapes.

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