Sweet White Wine
Table of contents
Sweet white wines are made in various styles, from semi-sweet late harvest wines, to rich, Botrytis-style wines. Semi-sweet styles typically contain up to 30 g/L of residual sugar, whereas sweeter styles might contain as much as 200 g/L. The sensory properties of different styles of sweet wine depend on grape variety and the method by which the higher sugar concentrations of grapes are achieved. Semi-sweet and non-Botrytis style sweet wines tend to exhibit fruity, floral and confectionary notes, whereas Botrytis-style wines are more complex, with honey, marmalade and in some cases, spicy oak notes.
Appearance
From pale yellow to golden
Aroma and Flavour
Fruit Characters (depending on grape variety)
citrus (grapefruit, lemon, lime); tree fruit (apple, apricot, peach, pear); floral (blossom, honeysuckle, rose, violet); tree fruit (apple, pear); tropical fruit (guava, lychee, melon, passionfruit, pineapple); other (confectionary, honey, musk, rosewater, perfumed).
Developed Characters
butterscotch, caramel, clove, dried fruit, fig, nutty, nougat, prune, raisin, spice, toffee
Botrytis Characters
cumquat, dried apricot, candied orange, marmalade, orange peel
Taste and Mouthfeel
Semi-sweet styles tend to be lighter-bodied, whereas the higher sugar content of sweeter styles increases the viscosity, making them more syrupy and luscious. Irrespective of the level of sweetness, there should be sufficient underlying acidity to balance the sugar, ensuring a clean, crisp finish.