Ch 24 - Tokaj Flashcards
What is the climate in Tokaj? What factors influence the wines here?
Moderate - best vineyards are on hillside slopes with southerly aspects. Bodrog and Tisza rivers and tributaries help generate early morning humidity for noble rot.
What are the 3 main varieties for Tokaji? What does each contribute to a blend?
Furmint - concentrated, high acid white wines with apple flavours, developing into nuts and honey with age. Can make dry whites but susceptible to botrytis so used more for Aszu sweet wines.
Harselevlu - late ripening and contributes perfume.
Sarga Muskotaly (Muscat Blanc a petits grains) used for aromatic qualities.
What styles are made in Tokaj?
Sweet is the most famous. Can make dry wines as well. Depending on degree of rot development, producer can make a number of styles in each vintage.
What practices are used in picking in Tokaj?
Pickers may separate grapes into three categories during harvest. Where noble rot has been widespread they pass through severaal times selecting individual aszu (rotten) grapes. Bunches remaining unaffected by rot are collected separately. They also select bunches partially affected by rot. They then use each different category for different styles.
How are Tokaji Aszu wines made?
Start with base wine from healthy grapes. Before, during or post-fermentation, the Aszu berries are macerated in the base wine. This lasts 12-60 hours. Traditionally they were made into a paste but using uncrushed aszu berries avoids extraction of bitter flavours. This mixture is pressed and the wine is matured in oak.
How is the amount of aszu berries used for Tokaji Aszu determined?
Depends on the sweetness for the final wine. The amount used will determine the sweetness.
What is puttony?
The unit used to express level of sweetness in Tokaji Aszu.
What are the characteristics of classic Tokaji Aszu?
Deep amber, high acidity, intense aromas, flavours of orange peel, apricots and honey. Wines become more concentrated and intense the sweeter they are.
What is Tokaji Eszencia?
Essence or Nectar - very rare. Eszencia is made using free run juice of the aszu berries only. Must is so sweet it can take years to ferment and will be very low in alcohol (less than 5%). Legal minimum level of residual sugar is 450g/L. Balanced by very high acidity and wines have very concentrated flavour. Able to mature and retain freshness for a century or more.
What are more modern styles of sweet wines in Tokaj?
Made from Late Harvest fruit. May use botrytis infected fruit - in which case they would be made by fermenting the affected fruit rather than the maceration used for Tokaji Aszu. Matured for less time than Aszu. Labelled Late Harvest typically.
What were the traditional requirements for Aszu wines?
60g/L residual sugar and would be scaled 3-6 puttonyos depending on amount above this amount. Minimum ageing of 24 months in oak and could only be released from jan 4th year after harvest. Sweetest would be Aszu Eszencia - min 180g/L residual sugar.
What are the 2013 laws for Tokaji Aszu?
Minimum residual sugar is 120g/L - this was previously 5 puttonyos. Anything lower is now to be labelled Late Harvest or Szamorodni depending on how it was made. Term Aszu Eszencia has been abolished. Wines in the Tokaji Aszu category now minimum age of 18 months on oak and can be released in Jan of 3rd year after harvest.
