24. Tokaj Flashcards
Where is Tokaj located?
- In the foothills of the Carpathian Mountains
- Far north east of Hungary
- Close to the Slovakian border
What is the wine made in Tokaj called?
Tokaji
Describe the climate and geography of Tokaj. Where are the best vineyards located?
- moderate climate
- best vineyards on hillside slopes with southerly aspects
-Bodrog and Tisza Rivers and tributaries hep generate early morning humidity for noble rot
What is the most widely planted variety in Tokaj? Describe the wines made from this grape. What types of wines is it known for?
Furmint
- concentrated
- high acid
- young: apples
- age: nuts, honey
- late ripening, susceptibility to noble rot (sweet)
- also some dry
What are other grape varieties grown in Tokaj?
Harslevelu (late ripening, perfumey)
Sarga Muskotaly/Muscat Blanc a Petits Grains (aromatic)
What size bottles are sweet wines bottled in?
50cL
What’s unique about the harvest in Tokaj?
- often make a variety of styles in one harvest
- pick the grapes into three different categories
1. ascu (rotten)
2. unaffected by noble rot
3. Szamorodni “as it comes” - partly affected by noble rot
Describe Tokaj’s dry wines without botrytis. Why are they important?
- gaining more importance
- allows winemakers to make wine in years when there is not much noble rot
- dry
- vary in style: simple, unoaked to more concentrated age-worthy blends (new oak)
- Furmint
What is Tokaj Szamorodni?
- made from grapes harvested as Szamorodni
- can be dry ( szaraz) - still shows noble rot characters
- can be sweet (edes)
- this depends on the amount of noble rot preset
- must be aged in cask for min of 1 year
- must be 2 years old before release
- casks not filled, flor-like yeasts form naturally
- character similar to FIno Sherry
What is Tokaj Aszu?
- base wine made from healthy grapes
- before, during or after fermented aszu berries added to macerate in the wine (12-60 hrs)
- traditionally berries were crushed and made into a paste but adding whole berries avoid extortion of bitter flavors
- pressed
- maturation of oak
-amount of ascu berries determines sweetness of wine (putting)
- deep amber
- high acidity
- intense aromatic aromas
- orange peel, apricots, honey
What is Tokaj Eszencia?
Essence or Nectar
- extremely rare, seldom available outside of Tokaj
- made using the free run juice of the aszu berries
- so sweet that it takes years to ferment
- less than 5% abv
- min RS is 450 g/L
- very high acidity
- can age for a century or longer
Describe modern sweet wines from Tokaj.
- Late Harvest
- some might use noble rot
- matured for shorter than Tokaj Aszu
Traditionally, what is the minimum requirements for Tokaji Aszu? What is the min level of RS for Aszu Eszencia?
- 60 g/L
- 3 to 6 puttonyos
- min 24 months in oak
- released Jan in the 4th year after harvest
Aszu min RS: 180 g/L
With the new 2013 laws, what is the new min level of RS for Tokaji Aszu? What must wine with lower RS be labelled
- 120 g/L
- 5 puttonyos
-wines with lower RS must be labelled Late Harvest or Tokaji Szamorodni
With the new 2013 laws, what is the deal with Tokaji Aszu?
- shorter aging requirements
- min 18 months in oak
- can be released in Jan after 3rd year of harvest
