Hungary Flashcards
What is the difference between Tokaji and Tokaj?
The wine is called Tokaji and the region is Tokaj.
What three grape varieties are blendend to make Tokaji wines?
Furmint, Hárslevelű and Sárga Muskotály (Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains)
What are the three categories of grapes used in sweet wines?
- Aszú (rotten) grapes - Where individual rotten grapes are selected
- Bunches that are unaffected by noble rot are collected.
- Szamorodini (as it comes) - bunches that are partially affected by noble rot.
What type of wines come from Hungary?
Dry or sweet wines
How are the Tokaji Aszú wines started?
Aszú wines - The Tokaji Aszú wines start with a base wine that is made from healthy grapes.
What determines the sweetness level in Tokaji Aszú wines?
The amount of aszú berries included in the fermentation.
How is the sweetness level measured?
Puttony
What is the style of a classic Tokaji Aszú wine?
Classic Tokaji is deep amber with high acidity and intense aromas and flavours of orange peel, apricots and honey. The wines become more concentrated and intense as they rise up the sweetness scale. They are matured in oak for a period of time.
How are Tokaji Eszencia wines made?
Tokaji Eszencia (essence or nectar) - These are extremely rare wines that are seldom available outside the region of production. Eszencia is made using just the free-run juice of the aszú berries. The must is so sweet that it can take years to ferment and even after that time the wines remain very low in alcohol (less than 5%). The minimum permitted level of residual sugar must be 450g/L. They can age for over 100 years.
What did Tokaji Eszencia used to be called?
Aszú Eszencia
What is the new minimum level of residual sugar in Tokaji Aszú wines?
The minimum residual sugar for Tokaji Aszú has been raised to 120g/L since the 2013 laws came into place.
What does Botrytis Cinerea do to the grapes?
“Also known as “noble rot,” it is a beneficial mould that grows on ripe wine grapes in the vineyard under specific climatic conditions. The mould dehydrates the grapes, leaving them shriveled and raisinlike and concentrates the sugars and flavors. Wines made from these berries have a rich, complex, honeyed character and are often high in residual sugar. Botrytis contributes the unique, concentrated flavors in such wines as BA and TBA Rieslings from Germany, Sauternes from Bordeaux, Aszú from Hungary’s Tokay district and an assortment of late-harvest wines from other regions.”
Instead of the puttonyos system, how are sweetness levels of Tokaji Aszú wines with less than 120g/L labelled?
Wines with lower levels of residual sugar must now be labelled as ‘Late Harvest’ or ‘Tokaji Szamorodni’ depending upon how they are made.
What are the new ageing requirements for Tokaji Aszú wines?
The Tokaji Aszú category are now subject to shorter ageing requirements, a minimum 18 months (used to be 24months) in oak and the wines can be released in January of the third year (used to be 4 years) after harvest.
How are Szamorodni wines made?
Szamorodni (as it comes) - bunches that are partially affected by noble rot. These wines are made from the grapes harvested as Szamorodni and may be dry (száraz) or sweet (édes) depending upon the amount of noble rot present.
Wines must be aged in a cask for a minimum of one year and be two years old before release. Most wines are aged longer
Casks for the dry wines are not completely filled to enable flor-like yeast to form naturally on the wine. The wine develops a character similar to that of a Fino Sherry.
