L3 - Tokaj Chapter 24

Question 1

Describe the geography and climate of Tokaj.

Answer 1

Tokaj, which produces the wine Tokaji is located in the foothills of the Carpathian mountains in northeast Hungary, on the border of Slovakia

The climate is moderate

Best vineyards are on south facing hillside slopes

The nearby Bodrog, and Tisza rivers help generate early morning humidity for noble rot

Question 2

What are the three principle grapes used in the making of Tokaj?

Answer 2

(1) Furmint
-late ripening
-susceptibility to botrytis
-high acid white
-flavors of apples when young, develops
into honey and nuts as they age
-Can make premium quality dry whites but
known as principal grape for sweet Aszu
wines

(2) Harsevelu
- late ripening and contributes perfume to the blend

(3) Sarga Muskotaly
-also adds aromatics

Question 3

What styles of wine does Tokaj use?

Answer 3

• Long famous for sweet wines but increasingly makes top quality dry wines

-sweet styles are traditionally bottled in 50 cL and dry styles are bottled in 75cL bottles

Question 4

How are grapes picked in Tokaj?

(Hint: In what phases?)

Answer 4

Grapes are typically picked in three different categories depending on the degree of noble rot

(1) where noble rot is widespread and pickers pass through the vineyards several tiems selecting individual aszu (rotten) grapes

(2) bunches unaffected by noble rot are collected separately

(3) grapes partially affected by noble rot (Szamorodni) are also picked.

These three different harvests can make a variety of styles of wine.

Question 5

Describe the dry style of Tokaj.

Answer 5

-This would be without botrytis
-no noble rot
-these dry wines vary in style from simple, unoaked wies that are made to be drunk young to more concentrated age-worthy blends, fermented and matured in new oak,
-usually made from Furmint

Question 6

Describe the style of Tokaji Szamorodni.

Answer 6

-Made from grapes harvested in the szamorodni phase (partially affected by noble rot)
-Can be dry (szaraz) or sweet (edes), depending on the amount of noble rot present
-Bc of noble rot dry wines will show noble rot characters
-Must be aged in cask for a minimum of 6 months and only to be released from the winery from the January in the second year after harvest
-Most wines are aged for longer

-Casks are partially filled to enable flor-like yeasts to form naturally on the wine, developing similar characters to Fino sherry (oxidative character)

Question 7

Describe the style of Tokaji Aszu wines.

Answer 7

-Tokaji Aszu wines start with a base wine
made from healthy grapes, and then before,
during or after fermentation the aszu
(rotten) berries macerate in the base wine.

-Maceration usually lasts for 12 to 60 hours

-Traditionally botrytised berries were made into a paste, but uncrushed berries avoids the extraction of bitter flavors. The more berries the sweeter the final wine

-Mixture is pressed and wine is matured for a period of time in oak

-Classic Tokaji is:
-deep amber
-high acidity
-intense aromas & flavors of orange peel, apricot, and honey
-wines become more concentrated and intense as they rise in sweetness

Question 8

Describe the style of Tokaji Eszencia wines.

Answer 8

-Extremely rare wines that are seldom available outside of Tokaji

-Made using the free run juice of azsu berries

-Can take years to ferment, wines are low in alcohol (less than 5%)

-legal minimum of residual sugar is 450 g/L

-This is balanced by very high acidity w/ enormously concentrated flavors

-able to mature and retain freshness for a century or more