Quality designation for a wine that is used in some Central European countries. In Austria and Germany, this is a Prädikat wine level. Some countries claim the "invention" of the late harvest for themselves, including Germany in the Rheingau, which is described in the legendary tale of the late harvest rider (pictures left and centre), France at the famous Château d'Yquem and Hungary with Tokaj.
Today, such wines are associated less with the fact of a late harvest than with a minimum must weight (sugar level in Oechsle or KMW), which requires fully ripe and therefore sweet grapes. The harvest date therefore has no legal significance (any more), although it does of course have an influence (the later, the riper). A late harvest is often medium sweet to sweet, but can also be vinified dry.
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