noble rot - Nickname for the Latin name Botrytis Cinerea, which is a form of mold that attacks the skins of ripe grapes in vineyards. Botrytis affected grapes cause a concentration of sugar causing the wine to be very sweet. Many wineries are exhilarated when noble rot descends on their grapes because they are then able to produce dessert wines. Take a sip, as Flash is needed to utilize the WineDefinitions database, http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer.