C24 - Tokaj

Question 1

Where is the region of Tokaj?

Answer 1

In the foothills of the Carpathian Mountains in the far north east of Hungary and close to the Slovakian border

Question 2

Describe the climate of Tokaj

Answer 2

Moderate continental

Question 3

Where are the best vineyards of Tokaj located?

Answer 3

On hillside slopes with southerly aspects

Question 4

How are the conditions created for noble rot to develop in Tokaj?

Answer 4

By the Bodrog and Tisza rivers and their many tributaries They generate the necessary early morning humidity

Question 5

What are the three principal grape varieties used for the creation of Tokaji?

Answer 5

Furmint

Hárslevelű

Sárga Muskotály

Question 6

What is the most widely planted variety used in the making of Tokaji?

Answer 6

Furmint

Question 7

Describe Hungarian wines made from Furmint

Answer 7

Concentrated, high acid wines Flavours of apples when young Nuts and honey when aged

Question 8

What is the principal grape variety used for Aszú wines?

Answer 8

Furmint

Question 9

Why is Furmint better known for Aszú wines than dry wines?

Answer 9

Due to its late-ripening and susceptibility to botrytis

Question 10

What does Hárslevelű contribute to a blend? Is it early or late-ripening?

Answer 10

Perfume Late-ripening

Question 11

By what more common name is Sárga Muskotály known?

Answer 11

Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains

Question 12

What is Sárga Muskotály used for in blends?

Answer 12

Its aromatic qualities

Question 13

What styles are Tokaji made into?

Answer 13

Sweet wines Dry wines

Question 14

What is unique about completed Tokaji wines?

Answer 14

Sweet wines are sold in 50cl bottles (dry are in 75cl bottles)

Question 15

Describe a producer’s output during an average vintage in Tokaj

Answer 15

Depending on the degree of noble rot development, a producer will often make a number of different styles

Question 16

How do producers allow for different styles in Tokaj?

Answer 16

They may separate the grapes into three different categories during the harvest

Question 17

What is the Hungarian name for rotten grapes?

Answer 17

Aszú

Question 18

How will appropriate grapes be separated during harvest in Hungary?

Answer 18

Pickers will pass through the vineyards several times, selecting individual aszú grapes

The remainder will be picked separately

Question 19

What does Szamorodni mean?

Answer 19

‘As it comes’

Question 20

What is Szamorodni?

Answer 20

It involves picking bunches partially affected by noble rot

Question 21

What is the role of dry Tokaji wines unaffected by botrytis?

Answer 21

Gaining in importance

Allows producers to make wine when noble rot is less rife

Question 22

Describe the range of styles of dry Tokaji

Answer 22

From simple, unoaked, early-drinking wines to more concentrated, age-worthy blends, which are often fermented and matured in new oak

Question 23

What are dry Tokaji wines usually made from?

Answer 23

Furmint

Question 24

What are the Hungarian terms for dry and sweet?

Answer 24

Dry: Száraz

Sweet: Édes

Question 25

What is unique about dry Szamorodni wines?

Answer 25

They will show noble rot characters

Question 26

Describe the role of ageing for Szamorodni wines

Answer 26

They must be aged in cask for a minimum of one year and be a minimum of two years old before release Casks are not completely filled to allow for flor to form on the surface

Question 27

Which wine has a similar character to Szamorodni?

Answer 27

Fino Sherry

Question 28

Which Tokaji wines use flor?

Answer 28

Only Szamorodni

Question 29

What is the result of flor not being used for sweet styles of Tokaji?

Answer 29

They may have an oxidative character

Question 30

What is the trend with sweet Tokaji making now?

Answer 30

To fill the casks, avoiding the risk of oxidative character developing

Question 31

Describe the process of making Aszú wines

Answer 31

Starts with a base wine of healthy grapes Before, during or after fermentation, Aszú berries are macerated in the base wine Mixture is pressed and matured in oak

Question 32

How long is Aszú wine macerated for?

Answer 32

12 - 60 hours

Question 33

How were Aszú berries traditionally treated before maceration for Tokaji? What is different now and why?

Answer 33

They were crushed into a paste They are usually used uncrushed now to avoid the extraction of bitter flavours

Question 34

How is wine sweetness determined for Tokaji?

Answer 34

By the amount of Aszú berries used

Question 35

What is the Hungarian unit of sweetness?

Answer 35

The puttony

Question 36

Describe classic Aszú Tokaji

Answer 36

Deep amber High acidity Intense aromas/flavours of orange peel, apricots and honey

Question 37

Describe the development of Tokaji concentration

Answer 37

The wines become more concentrated and intense as they rise up the sweetness scale

Question 38

What essentially are Tokaji Eszencia wines?

Answer 38

Extremely rare sweet wines from Tokaj which are rarely available outside the region of production

Question 39

How are Tokaji Eszencia wines made?

Answer 39

Using just the free-run juice of the aszú berries The must is so sweet, the wines can take years to ferment Even after that time, the wines may not have reached 5% abv

Question 40

What is the legal minimum of alcohol for Tokaji Eszencia?

Answer 40

450 g/L

Question 41

Describe Tokaji Eszencia flavours

Answer 41

They are balanced by very high acidity and have an enormously concentrated flavour Can mature and retain freshness for a century or more

Question 42

How are Tokaj's modern sweet wines made?

Answer 42

From grapes that spend an extended time on the vine Some use botrytis infected fruit

Question 43

How is vinification of Tokaj's modern sweet wines different to that of Aszú wines?

Answer 43

When botrytis is present, the botrytised grapes are fermented, rather than using the maceration process of Aszú wines

Question 44

How else are Tokaj's modern sweet wines made differently to Aszú wines?

Answer 44

They may be matured for less time than Aszú wines

Question 45

How are Tokaj's modern sweet wines usually labelled?

Answer 45

'Late Harvest'

Question 46

Since when have producers of Tokaj been working with new regulations with regard to wine making and labelling?

Answer 46

2013

Question 47

Why are Tokaj's new legal regulations only partially relevant?

Answer 47

The regulations are not yet/freshly implemented, and vintages up to 2012 will still be on the market for a long time

Question 48

What is the traditional minimum sugar for Tokaji Aszú?

Answer 48

60g/L

Question 49

How would Tokaji Aszú be traditionally labelled regarding sweetness?

Answer 49

On a scale of three to six puttonyos depending on the levels of residual sugar above 60g/L

Question 50

What were the traditional minimum ageing restrictions for Tokaji Aszú?

Answer 50

24 months in oak Wine could only be released from January in the fourth year after harvest

Question 51

What was the minimum residual sugar level required for Aszú wines to be labelled as Aszú Eszencia?

Answer 51

180g/L

Question 52

How has the minimum sugar level for Tokaji Aszú been changed under 2013 laws?

Answer 52

It has increased to 120g/L

Question 53

What was previously required in Tokaj to have 120g/L?

Answer 53

A wine with a sweetness level of 5 puttonyos

Question 54

How must wines be labelled in Tokaj when they have sugar levels below 120g/L?

Answer 54

Late Harvest or Tokaji Szamorodni depending on how they're made

Question 55

Which wine term in Tokaj has been abolished under the 2013 law?

Answer 55

Aszú Eszencia

Question 56

How have regulations changed for Tokaji Aszú?

Answer 56

They are now subject to shorter ageing requirements; 18 months in oak They can be released from the January of the third year after harvest