Chenin with noble rot ?

I personally believe that chenin – along with Riesling – is one of the very few grape varieties which can only fully express their deep personalities through a fairly advance maturity which contains some “noble rot”.

This is different from late harvest. This noble rot comes for only a few days when the grape is beyond the deep yellow level. It brings to the  wine a deep golden color, sometimes dark amber – but this colour must not be confused with oxidation.

At this ripening level, yield is substantially reduced while a higher level of concentration showcases the minerality of the vineyard site (schist, quartz, flint).

This level of maturity can only be reached successfully if all chemical treatments against rote are avoided. These treatments upset the subtle balance of maturity. It therefore implies an organic or biodynamic farming.