13 - Tokaj

Question 1

Describe the growing conditions in Tokaj (5).

Answer 1

Moderate continental climate

Northernly Forested mountains → protect from cold, N winds

~1450 hrs of sunlight during growing season →S/SE/SW benefit max sunlight

500-600mm but 1/2 falls during growing season

warm + dry autumns → late-harvest

Tisza and Bodrog meet at Tokaj → morning fog + sunny afternoons = botrytis, grey rot

Question 2

Describe how Tokaj’s soils impact grape growing in the region.

Answer 2

Volcanic soils - Nyirok → powerful

Loess (sandy silt with clay) → delicate

Volcanic bedrock is soft → vines can root deeply → water stress, lack of nutrients rare

Question 3

How has viticulture evolved in Hungary? (2)

Answer 3

Training and Trellising

Traditional → single post, 10,000 VPH

Mordern → 4500 VPH, RCP or cordon with VSP

Mechanisation

More common → canopy thinning + harvesting

→Not on steeper slopes or Aszu

Question 4

What are the main viti challenges in Tokaj? (4)

Answer 4

1. Powdery mildew
2. Grey rot → wetter years
3. Wild boar + birds
4. Aszu → skilled labour

Question 5

What are the typical yields in Tokaj.

Answer 5

Low for dry wines to ensure q

Aszu → 2-3 hL/ha

Question 6

Describe the characteristics of Furmint including:

Ripening

Skin

Flavours, structure and styles

Answer 6

Late ripening → 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 prem styles → dried apricot and mango with botrytis

High sugar levels → dry styles full-bodied with high alcohol → but modern viti means grapes can get ripe at med alcohol

Question 7

What do Hárslevelű and Sárga Muskotály contribute to blends?

Answer 7

Floral notes

Question 8

Describe the style of wine labeled Aszu.

Answer 8

Deep amber

orange peel, apricots + honey

high acid, sweet, low-med alcohol

Question 9

Describe the production process for Aszu wines from harvest to bottling. (9)

Answer 9

1. Harvest individual botrytis grapes → several pas
2. Mash into a paste via a pump → taking care not to extract bitterness → some avoid step
3. Macerate paste in must or base wine for 12-60hrs at around 12-15c
4. Min potential ABV of 12% for the must
5. Many producers stop ferment early OR allow yeast to die naturally
6. min 18mnths in oak - often longer → traditionally small 136L barrels → now moving to 300-500L, mix of new and old oak used
7. Must be bottled in clear 500ml

Question 10

Describe the different method of maceration used to produce Tokaji and how it impacts the style of wine produced.

Answer 10

1. Macerate in unfermenting must - must held at cool temp to discourage ferment → lightest styles
2. Maceration in fermenting must - 12-15c up to 16-18c as ferment continues → most powerful, complex wine
3. Maceration in young finished wine → more extraction

Question 11

What is the potential ABV of the must that Aszu grapes are macerated in?

Answer 11

Min of 12%

mainly 14.5-15.5%

Question 12

How can producers use botrytised grapes to add extra richness to Tokaj (apart from the grapes used for maceration)?

Answer 12

% of botrytized grapes in base must/wine → adds complexity, creamy texture

Question 13

Why do many producers prefer cultured yeast when fermenting Aszu wine?

Answer 13

high sugar content→difficult for ambient yeast to survive and ferment reliably

Question 14

Which Aszu wines may require stablisation? How is this achieved?

Answer 14

Wines produced by stopping fermentation early → chill juice, rack and dose with SO2

Question 15

How did the system of Aszu grapes change in 2013?

Answer 15

Pre-2013

→ by sweetness according to puttonyos scale from 3-6

Post-2013

• Min sugar 120g/L (equal to 5 puttonyos under old scale)
• Not mandatory to label using puttonyos
• New categories of Late Harvest and Edes Szamorodni created

Question 16

What is Eszencia? How is it made and what does it taste like?

Answer 16

Very rare sweet wine made with the free-run juice of Aszu berries

• 450 g/L
• low abv
• high acid
• full-body
• extremely intense and age worthy

Question 17

What does Late Harvest indicate? Describe the style of wine produced under this label.

What advantages exist from a wine business perspective?

Answer 17

• Without maceration of Aszu berries → instead late-harvested grapes with some % of botrytis are crushed and fermented
• Oak ageing not mandatory → many use SST
• 80-110 g/L sugar
• Lighter body and fresher fruit
• ready to sell only 12-16mnths after harvest
• lower % of bot → more consistent across vintages.

Question 18

What does Szamorodni indicate? Describe the style of wine produced under this label.

Answer 18

2 styles produced from mixture of healthy and botrytised grapes

Edes

• sweet → min 45 g/L (most 89-100 g/L)
• 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

Question 19

To what extent has the production of dry Tokaji grown?

How has this impacted grape growing? (3)

Answer 19

Production has tripled in 5-yrs

1. Producers planting on higher, windier hillsides esp. those above fog zone
2. Open canopies
3. Vine treatments e.g. fungicide

Question 20

What kind of styles of dry Tokaji are made?

Answer 20

Old School very ripe grapes, full malo + new oak

New Wave

• less ripeness, SST ferment, focus on varietal or vineyard character
• (single vineyards are called Dűlő)
• Mainly Furmint but Hárslevelű and Muscat also
• EU PDO, varietally labelled wines → 85% of grape

Question 21

What sub-categories does Tokaj’s PDO contain?

What is the applicable PGI called?

Answer 21

1. Stylistic categories e.g. Aszu, Szamorodni
2. Village, estate wines and single vineyards

PGI Zempléni:

int’l varieties + inexp wine produced at higher yields