24. Tokaj

Question 1

What is the climate of Tokaj?

Answer 1

Moderate

Question 2

Where are the best vineyards located in Tokaj?

Answer 2

Hillside slope with southerly aspects

Question 3

Which geographical factor in Tokaj promotes the noble rot?

Answer 3

Humidity created by rivers Bodrog and Tizsa and their tributaries

Question 4

Which grape varieties are used to make Tokaji?

Answer 4

• Furmint
• Harslevelü
• Sarga Muskotaly (Muscat Blanc a Petits Grains)

Question 5

What is the most widely planted grape variety in Tokaj?

Answer 5

Furmint

Question 6

Tasting notes for Furmint

Answer 6

• High acid
• Flavors of apple when young
• Develop flavors of nuts and honey as they age

Question 7

What kinds of wines can be made from Furmint?

Answer 7

• Premium quality dry white wines

- Sweet Azsu wines

Question 8

What do the Harslevelü and Sarga Muskotaly grapes add to a blend?

Answer 8

Aromas

Question 9

How is bottling different for dry and sweet wines in Tokaj?

Answer 9

Dry wines: 750 ml bottles

Sweet wines: 500 ml bottles

Question 10

How do the grape growers in Tokaj categorize the grapes during harvest?

Answer 10

• Aszu (rotten): Affected by noble rot
• Szamorodni (as it comes): Partially affected by noble rot
• Unaffected grapes

Question 11

What is the style of dry wines in Tokaj

Answer 11

The style differs from producer to producer, from simlple unoaked wines to more concentrated, oaked (new), age-worthy blends. Usually made with Furmint grape.

Question 12

Are Szamorodni wines dry or sweet.

Answer 12

They can be both dry or sweet, depending on the amount of noble rot that is present

Question 13

What is the minimum amount of aging required for Szamorodni wines?

Answer 13

2 years with 1 year in oak. But mostly they are aged longer

Question 14

Traditionally, what technique is used for the production of dry Szamorodni wines?

Answer 14

The casks are not filled completely, so a flor-like yeast develops, which gives the wines a character like Fino-Sherry

Question 15

How are Tokaji Aszu wines produced?

Answer 15

• First a base wine is made from healthy grapes
• The aszu grapes are gently mashed into a thick paste
• Before, during or after the fermentataion, paste from aszu berries are macerated in base wine (12-60 hours)

Question 16

What determines the final sweetness of a Tokaji Aszu wine? How is it expressed?

Answer 16

• The amount of Aszu berries

- Puttony

Question 17

Tasting notes of Classic Tokaji

Answer 17

• Deep amber color
• High acidity
• Intense aromas and flavors of honey, apricot, orange peel

Question 18

What is Tokaji Eszencia?

Answer 18

Tokaji wine made from the free run juices of aszu berries

Question 19

What is the legal minimum amount of sugar in Tokaji Eszencia wines?

Answer 19

450 gr/L

Question 20

What is the alcohol level of Tokaji Eszencia wines? Why?

Answer 20

• Usually less than 5% abv

- Because the must is so sweet that it takes years to ferment and even after that time wines remain low in alcohol

Question 21

What are the minimum sugar levels and aging requirements for Tokaji wines in traditional and new (2013) laws?

Answer 21

• Traditional law: Minimum sugar 60 gr/L, (for Aszu Eszencia 180 gr/l), 24 months in oak, could only be released from the January in the 4th year after harvest
• 2013 law: 120 gr/l (5 puttonyos of traditioanl law), 18 months in oak, could only be released from the January in the 3rd year after harvest

Question 22

How are the most modern style sweet wines of Tokaj labelled?

Answer 22

Late harvest

Question 23

How is the production of modern style botrytized sweet wines of Tokaj different than the production of Tokaji Aszu wines?

Answer 23

They are produced by fermenting botrytized grapes (like Sauternes or TBA) rather than macerating