Auslese (literal meaning: "selected harvest"; plural form is
Auslesen) is a
German language wine term for a
late harvest wine and is a riper category than
Spätlese in the
Prädikatswein category of the
Austrian and
German wine classification. The grapes are picked from selected very ripe bunches in the autumn (late November-early December), and have to be hand picked. Generally Auslese wine can be made in only the best harvest years that have been sufficiently warm. A small proportion of the grapes may be affected by
noble rot in some regions although this never dominates the character of the wine.
Rheingau winemaker
Schloss Johannisberg is generally credited with discovering Auslese wine in 1787.