Hungary

Question 1

Describe the region of Tokaj

Answer 1

• Tokaj is located in the far north east of Hungary, near the slovakian border.
• Foothills of the Carpathian Mountains

Climate
- Moderate Continental

Factors that influence climate in vineyard
- located on hillside slopes with southerly aspects
- Near Bodrog and Tisza Rivers, which helps generate morning humidity for noble rot

Question 2

Name and desribe Tokaj grape varieties

Answer 2

Three principle white grape varieties, often blended.

Furmint
- Most widely planted
- Late-ripening, susceptible to botrytis
- Concentrated, high acidity,
- flavous of apple developing into nuts and honey
- Premium quality dry and sweet
- Known for principal grape in Azsú wine

Hárslevelű”
- late ripening
- contribute to perfume a blend

Sárga Muskotály (muscat blan à petits grains)
- Used for aromatic qualities

Question 3

Explain Tokaji sweet wine laws

Answer 3

PDO and PGI System
The different styles of Tokaj PDO are defined by law

Tokaji Aszú sweetness must have at least 5 puttonyos (120g/L residual sugar). 6 puttonyos is 150g/L residual sugar

Must be matured for a minimum of 18 months in new or old oak vessels.

Producers can make 3-4 puttonyos but the minimum is now 120, since 2013.

Tokaji Eszencia sweetness must have at least 450g/L residual sugar.

Question 4

What is puttonyos ?

Answer 4

Its a measure for the minimum of residual sugar concentration.

It comes from a puttony, which as a picker’s bucket. The measure described the number of buckest of aszu grapes that went into each barrell of fine.

Question 5

Name the different Tokaj wine styles

Answer 5

• Famous for sweet wines, which are among the best in the world
• Increasingly making top quality dry wines

1. Dry wines without botrytis
2. Tokaji Szamorodni
3. Azsú Wines - Tokaji Azsú
4. Tokaji Eszencia (essence or nectar)
5. Modern style sweet wines

Question 6

Describe Tokaj dry wines without botrytis

Answer 6

Dry wines are ganing importance. It allows producer to make wine when there is not much noble rot

Vary in style
- Simple, unoaked, drink young
- More concentrated, are worthy blend, often fermented and matures in new oak, usually made from furmint

Question 7

Describe Tokaj modern style sweet wines

Answer 7

• Made from late harvest grapes
• May be botrytised
• Labelled Late harvest
• When there is noble rot : The botrytised grapes are fermented instead (as sauternes or TBA) instead of macerated. It may be matured for less time than Aszu

Question 8

Describe Tokaji Eszencia

Answer 8

• Style of Tokaji PDO
• Botrytised sweet nectar
• Extremely rare and mostly sold in the region
• Legal minimum residual sugar of 450 g/L
• Made from free-run juice of the Azsú berries
• Must is sweet it can take years to ferment
• low alcohol (less thant 5%)
• High acidity, Enormously concentrated flavours
• Able to mature and retain freshness for a century or more

Question 9

Describe the different harvests / grape categories of Tokaj

Answer 9

1. Pickers pass several time through the vineyards and select individual Azsú berries
2. Bunches that remain unaffected by noble rot are collected separately
3. Szamorodni “as it comes”. Picking bunches that are partially affected by noble rot

There is also late harvest wine - modern style sweet wines

Question 10

Describe the winemaking and characteristics of Tokaji Azsú wines

Answer 10

Winemaking
- Botrytised sweet wines
- Fermentation starts with a base wine from healthy grapes
- Before, during of after fermentation, entire Azsú beries are macerated for 12-60 hours. (traditionally, the berries were crushed into a paste, but they now want to avoid bitter flavours)
- The wine is pressed and matured in oak for a minimum of 18 months
- The amount of Azsú determines the sweetness of final wine. minimum of 5 puttonyos (120g/L or residual sugar)

Characteristics
- Classic Tokaj ; Deep amber, high acidity, intense aromas of orange peel, apricots and honey
- more sweetness = more flavour concentration.

Question 11

Describe the winemaking and characteristics of Tokaji Szamorodni wines

Answer 11

Winemaking
- May be dry (szaraz) or sweet (édes) depending on level of noble rot
- Made from grapes harvested as Szamorodni
- Must be aged in cask for minimum of 6 months
- May be released from the January in the second year of harvest
- Dry wine : casks are not completely filled to enable flor-like yeast to form, giving characters similar to fino sherry
- Sweet wines does not have this yeast so will therfore have oxidative character. However, the modern trend is to fill cask to avoid oxidation