13 - Tokaj Flashcards
Describe the growing conditions in Tokaj (5).
Moderate continental climate
Forested mountains to north protect from cold, northerly winds
~1450 hrs of sunlight during growing season –> vineyards facing S/SE/SW benefit maximise sunlight
Rainfall low (500-600mm) but 1/2 falls during growing season w/ warm + dry autumns –> good conditions for late-harvest
Tisza and Bodrog meet at town of Tokaj –> morning fog + sunny afternoons –> botrytis, grey rot
Describe how Tokaj’s soils impact grape growing in the region.
Volcanic soils esp. Nyirok –> powerful
Loess (sandy silt with clay) –> delicate
Volcanic bedrock is soft –> vines can root deeply –> water stress, lack of nutrients rare
How has viticulture evolved in Hungary? (2)
Training and Trellising
Traditional –> vines grown on single post up to 10,000 VPH
Modern –> lower density ~4500 VPH with vines RCP or cordon with VSP
Mechanisation
More common esp. for canopy thinning and harvesting
But not possible on steeper slopes or for Aszu wines
What are the main viti challenges in Tokaj? (4)
- Powdery mildew –> warm summers and autumns
- Grey rot –> in wetter years
- Wild boar and birds
- Selecting berries for Aszu requirers skilled labour
What are the typical yields in Tokaj.
Low for dry wines –> 30-40 hL/ha to ensure qualuty
Aszu berries produced tiny yields as low as 2-3 hL/ha
Describe the characteristics of Furmint including:
Ripening
Skin
Flavours, structure and styles
Late ripening while retaining acid
Thick-skinned –> protects from grey rot but still susceptible to botrytis
Lemon, apple, pear –> honey and nuts with age; oak ageing common on premium styles –> dried apricot and mango with botrytis
High sugar levels –> dry styles may be full-bodied with high alcohol –> but modern viti means can achieve phenolic with too much sugar ripeness
What do Hárslevelű and Sárga Muskotály contribute to blends?
Hárslevelű peach and orange blossom
Sárga Muskotály floral notes (see MBPG)
Describe the style of wine labeled Aszu.
Deep amber, intense orange peel, apricots and honey, high acid, sweet, low-med alcohol
Describe the production process for Aszu wines from harvest to bottling. (9)
Harvest individual grapes affected by botrytis through several passes
Mash Aszu grapes into a paste via a pump - taking care not to extract bitterness from skins + seeds
(Some don’t do this due to risk of bitterness)
Macerate paste into must for 12-60hrs at around 12-15c
Minimum potential ABV of 12% for the must
If macerating in must, press the paste or berries
Many producers stop fermentation early OR allow yeast to die naturally
Aszu spend min of 18mnths in oak - often longer –> traditionally small 136L barrels but many producers moving to larger format 300-500L, mix of new and old oak used
Must be bottled in clear glass, 500mL bottle
Describe the different method of maceration used to produce Tokaji and how it impacts the style of wine produced.
- Macerate in unfermenting must - must held at cool temp to discourage ferment –> lightest styles
- Maceration in young finished wine –> more extraction
- Maceration in fermenting must, usually 12-15c up to 16-18c as ferment continues –> most powerful, complex wine
What is the potential ABV of the must that Aszu grapes are macerated in?
Minimum of 12% but for many it is 14.5-15.5%
How can producers used botrytised grapes to add extra richness to Tokaji (apart from the grapes used for maceration)?
They can use some % of botrytized grapes in the base must/wine –> adds complexity, creamy texture
Why do many producers prefer cultured yeast when fermenting Aszu wine?
Because the high sugar content of the must make it esp. difficult for ambient yeast to survive and ferment reliably
Which wines Aszu wines may require stablisation? How is this achieved?
Wines produced by stopping fermentation early –> chill juice, rack and dose with SO2. Filter?
How did the system of Aszu grapes change in 2013?
Pre-2013 –> by sweetness according to puttonyos scale from 3-6
Post-2013
- Minimum sugar 120g/L (equal to five puttonyos under old scale)
- Not mandatory to label using puttonyos
- New categories of Late Harvest and Edes Szamorodni created
What is Eszencia? How is it made and what does it taste like?
Very rare sweet wine made with the free-run juice of Aszu berries
>450 g/L sugar with low alcohol, high acid and full-body –> extremely intense and age worthy
What does Late Harvest indicate? Describe the style of wine produced under this label.
What advantages exist from a wine business perspective?
Wines made without maceration of Aszu berries –> instead late-harvested grapes with some % of botrytis are crushed and fermented
Oak ageing not mandatory –> many producers use SST
Styles is usually between 80-110 g/L sugar with lighter body and fresher fruit than traditional Aszu wines
Wines ready to sell only 12-16mnths after harvest and lower % of bot makes production more consistent across vintages.
What does Szamorodni indicate? Describe the style of wine produced under this label.
Two styles produced from mixture of healthy and botrytised grapes…
Edes sweet with min 45 g/L (most have 89-100 g/L) with short, 6mnth oak maturation –> same quality as Aszu but fresher
Száraz - aged under layer of flor for up to a decade –> nutty, green apple aromas
To what extent has the production of dry Tokaji grown?
How has this impacted grape growing? (3)
Production has tripled in 5-yrs
- Producers planting on higher, windier hillsides esp. those above fog zone
- Open canopies
- Vine treatments e.g. fungicide
What kind of styles of dry Tokaji are made?
Old School very ripe grapes, full malo and new oak barrel ageing
New Wave less ripeness, SST ferment, focus on varietal or vineyard character (single vineyards are called Dűlő)
Mainly using Furmint (majority of plantings) but Hárslevelű and Muscat
N.B. under EU PDO, varietally labelled wines must contain 85% of grape
What sub-categories does Tokaj’s PDO contain?
What is the applicable PGI called?
- Stylistic categories e.g. Aszu, Szamorodni
- Village, estate wines and single vineyards
PGI Zempléni allows for int’l varieties and for inexpensive wine produced at higher yields
What % of production is Aszu and dry wine. What makes up the remainder?
10% Aszu wines
20% dry wines
Remainder is cheap, semi-sweet wines for home and Eastern European market
Assess the extent to which Tokaj production could grow in the future. (+3, -2)
+ Export growth potential in new markets - 40% exported with China, France, UK, US being largest mkts
+ Only half of potential vineyard area planted ~5800ha
+ Growth in production of dry styles
- Obscure language and labelling terms
- Large proportion of production is cheap, poor quality
What is the average size of land holdings, who is the most significant producer?
Average holding is 1-2ha –> grapes sold to large producers
Grand Tokaj - state-owned - produced 35% of wine
