Tokaj

Question 1

Tokaj is one thing, Tokaji another - what?

Answer 1

Tokaj is the place and Tokaji is the wine.

Question 2

Name one reason why Tokaji was world famous and enjoyed in royal courts around Europe from 1500 and onwards.

Answer 2

It offered sweetness before crystal sugar became available.

Question 3

What made the Tokaji tradition to come to a halt?

Answer 3

Hungary became a communist state in 1945 and focus shifted from quality to quantity - often deliberately oxidised, sweetened, fortified and pasteurized.

Question 4

Name a few foreign investors that rebuilt Tokaj when communism fell. When did it fall?

Answer 4

Communism ended in 1989. AXA, Vega Sicilia and Hugh Johnson.

Question 5

Climate in Tokaj?

Answer 5

Moderate continental

Question 6

What forested mountain shelters Tokaj from cold northerly winds?

Answer 6

Zemplén mountains.

Question 7

Between what latitudes do you find Tokaj?

Answer 7

48-49N

Question 8

Why are the vineyards in Tokaj mostly planted on slopes? At what aspects and why?

Answer 8

On slopes to reduce risk of frost and winter cold. For max sunlight on south, south-east and south-west aspects.

Question 9

Rainfall range in Tokaj? And when does most of it fall?

Answer 9

Between 500-600mm, half during the growing season.

Question 10

Is irrigation permitted in Tokaj?

Answer 10

No.

Question 11

Name the two major rivers that meet in the town of Tokaj.

Answer 11

Bodrog and Tisza

Question 12

The warm sunny afternoons in Tokaj that burn off the mist helps out to control botrytis but also another disease. Name the disease.

Answer 12

Grey rot.

Question 13

The deep volcanic bedrock of Tokaj is overlaid with a complex variety of soils. Name the most prominent and what kind of wines it is said to produce. West of town, around the Tokaj hill and different soil type is found. What, and what kind of wines is it said to produce?

Answer 13

Nyirok is the volcanic soil, said to produce the most powerful wines while there is loess, a sandy silt with high clay content around the Tokaj hill - said to produce lighter, more delicate wines.

Question 14

In what way is the soft volcanic bedrock great for the vines.

Answer 14

The roots can grow very deep making water stress and nutrient deficiencies rare.

Question 15

The soft volcanic bedrock is also excellent for digging cellars. The cellars in Tokaj are famous for a fungus that is believed to help regulate humidity. Name the fungus and the physical appearance.

Answer 15

Zasmidium Cellare - grey-black and cushiony.

Question 16

Traditionally vines in Tokaj were grown on single posts with up to 10.000 v/ha in density. This is still seen in small old plots. But how are vines grown today?

Answer 16

On trellising using replacement cane or cordon with VSP, densities around 4-5 thousand vines per hectare.

Question 17

Modern training systems in Tokaj allow mechanised harvest, but many vineyards are still worked by hand. Why?

Answer 17

Mechanised harvest is not possible on steep slopes AND hand harvest is required for the careful selection of Aszú berries.

Question 18

Name the two main disease concerns in Tokaj. One happening in wetter years.

Answer 18

Powdery mildew and in wetter years grey rot.

Question 19

How is powdery mildew and grey rot fought in Tokaj?

Answer 19

By managing the canopy to ensure good air circulation. Particularly important for grapes intended for dry wines.

Question 20

Name the two main pests in Tokaj.

Answer 20

Birds and wild boars.

Question 21

Yields for Aszú berries is tiny (because they have shrivelled ON the vine). How tiny? General yields for dry wines are also kept low. Why and how low?

Answer 21

Aszú yields are around 2-3 hL/ha. To ensure quality yields for dry wines are around 30-40 hL/ha. It is possible to have higher yields in warm, sunny vintages, but in poor years yields must be controlled to ensure ripeness.

Question 22

How many permitted grape varieties are there in Tokaji PDO? Name the 3 most important.

Answer 22

6. The 3 most important are Furmint, Hárslevelű and Sárga Muskotály (Muscat Blanc à petits grains)

Question 23

Furmint is the most planted variety in Tokaj. How many percent of all plantings? When does it ripen?

Answer 23

63% of all plantings is Furmint, a late-ripening variety.

Question 24

Explain how Furmint is well suited for sweet wine production.

Answer 24

Despite being thick-skinned it is highly susceptible to botrytis. It retains acidity very well even as fully ripe. Furmint accumulate high levels of sugar which is further concentrated by botrytis, shrivelling and late harvest.

Question 25

What dry styles of wine is made with Furmint ?

Answer 25

The whole range from intended to be drunk young to more age-worthy - the latter often matured in oak.

Question 26

Dry Furmint are often full bodied and high in alcohol due to the high sugar accumulation. Improved viticultural practices are making possible wines with medium alcohol but still ripe. What typical flavours can be found in all styles?

Answer 26

Lemon, apple and pear.

Question 27

With time, Furmint wines develop what notes (lemon, apple and pear being notable primary flavours)? Typical notes for botrytis-affected wines?

Answer 27

With time notes of nuttiness and honey develop. Botrytised wines usually have notes of dried apricot and mango.

Question 28

What is the second most planted variety in Tokaj with 19%?

Answer 28

Hárslevelű

Question 29

Hárslevelű is fruitier than Furmint with distinctive aromas of what?

Answer 29

Peach and orange blossom

Question 30

What is the third most important grape variety in Tokaj with 12% of total plantings?

Answer 30

Sárga Muskotály (Muscat Blanc à petit grains)

Question 31

What is the Hungarian word for botrytis infected and shrivelled on the vine grapes?

Answer 31

Aszú

Question 32

The sugary juice in the aszú-berries are so concentrated it cannot be effectively extracted by normal pressing. They are macerated instead in 3 different liquids depending on desired outcome. What are the 3 liquids?

Answer 32

1. Grape must
2. Fermenting grape must
3. Base wine

Question 33

What colour is classic aszú? Acidity? Alcohol? Aromas (3)?

Answer 33

Colour: deep amber
Acidity: high
Alcohol: low to medium
Aromas: orange peel, apricots and honey

Question 34

How are aszú grapes picked?

Answer 34

Individually By hand, in several passes. They are then stored in vats until required.

Question 35

Prior to maceration, many producers do what to the aszú grapes? Name one way to do it.
Producers who doesn’t do it, what are they trying to avoid?

Answer 35

They mash them into a paste by crushing or breaking open the grapes. Usually by passing them through a pump.
Producers who prefers uncrushed grapes are trying to avoid bitterness from skins and seeds.

Question 36

For how long are paste or aszú grapes macerated (between)?

Answer 36

Between 12 and 60 hours.

Question 37

Maceration temperature for aszú is around what? If the must is strongly fermenting the temperature may rise to what?

Answer 37

12-15 degrees Celsius. If the must is strongly fermenting the temperature may rise to 16-20 degrees Celsius.

Question 38

Choice of maceration method depends on style of wine. List the 3 methods and what they do to the style of aszú.

Answer 38

1. Maceration in must gives the lightest style
2. Maceration in young finished wine gives stronger extraction.
3. Maceration in fermenting must gives the strongest extraction and most complex wine.

Question 39

Macerating aszú in fermenting must gives the strongest extraction and most complex wine. But it also comes with a higher risk of what?

Answer 39

The berries need to be both ripe and clean or unpleasant bitter, unripe characteristics might be extracted.

Question 40

Producers can to some extent control extraction when macerating azsú berries in fermenting must by doing what?

Answer 40

Timing! Strongest extraction occurs when the must is fermenting most actively.

Question 41

By law, what is minimum potential abv for the base wine used for macerating aszú (if that is the choice)? What is potential abv often in practise?

Answer 41

12% abv but in practice 14,5-15,5% (lowered by the addition of the aszú berries/paste)

Question 42

The base wine producers use to macerate aszú berries in, are there any regulations other than minimum potential alcohol? Grape varieties? Botrytised?

Answer 42

No other regulations. Most common grape varieties are furmint and hárslevelű. Some producers use botrytis in the base wine to make a more complex products, others do not to let the aszú shine the most.

Question 43

What happens after the maceration in must or fermenting must?

Answer 43

Aszú berries/paste is pressed. Fermentation continues or starts to gain desired balance of sugar and alcohol.

Question 44

What is the main reason producers chose cultured yeast over ambient in aszú production? What are the two most common fermentation vessels?

Answer 44

The high sugar levels can make fermentation difficult and cultured yeasts are more reliable. Both stainless steel and barrels are common fermentation vessels.

Question 45

Aszú fermentation may stop naturally due to high sugar level. How high? If the producer is looking to stop the fermentation at a desired alcohol/sugar level, what does he/she do?

Answer 45

At 180g/L and above fermentation will stop naturally, and the wine will be stable. By chilling, racking or adding SO2 the producer can stop the fermentation when desired.

Question 46

Some producers prefer longer, but how long are Aszú wines regulated to spend minimum in oak?

Answer 46

18 months

Question 47

What kind of oak is often used for Aszú wines, where is it sourced from? For both fermentation and ageing.

Answer 47

Hungarian oak, often sourced from the Zémplen mountains above the region.

Question 48

What are the traditional Hungarian oak barrels called, and how many litres do they hold? Most producers are now switching to larger barrels holding 300-500 litres.

Answer 48

Gönci, they hold 136 litres.

Question 49

Aszú wines must be bottled in what? How much liquid does the bottle hold?

Answer 49

Traditional, clear glassed Tokaji bottle holding 500mL.

Question 50

Up until 2013 Aszú was classified by sweetness using what scale? Explain the scale too.

Answer 50

Puttonyos. The name puttonyos is the name of the buckets or hods pickers used. The scale equals how many puttonyos was put in a traditional gönci barrel of must.

Question 51

Regulations in Tokaj changed significantly in 2013 regarding sweetness levels and labelling the very same. Minimum residual sugar level was set to what? How many puttonyos is that equal to?

Answer 51

120g/L, equivalent to 5 puttonyos.

Question 52

Wines with lower levels than 120g/L are from 2013 in Tokaj labelled as what (style dependant)?

Answer 52

Late harvest or Tokaji Édes Szamorodni.

Question 53

What is the name of the very rare and expensive Tokaji wine made from free-run Aszú berries juice?

Answer 53

Eszencia

Question 54

Eszencia is so sweet it can take years to ferment, what is the legal minimum residual sugar level? And usually, below what percentage is the level of alcohol?

Answer 54

450g/L of RS, usually less than 5% abv.

Question 55

Producing Aszú wines takes a lot of time and effort. What style of wine has emerged in Tokaj as a reaction to that?

Answer 55

Late harvest

Question 56

Does late harvest Tokaji have more or less botrytis affected berries compared to Aszú wines?

Answer 56

Typically with less

Question 57

What is the minimum legal level of RS in late harvest? Most wines have higher levels though, between what?

Answer 57

Legal level for late harvest is 45g/L, most are between 90 and 110g/L.

Question 58

Is oak ageing compulsory for Tokaji Late Harvest? How long after harvest is it typically released?

Answer 58

Oak ageing is NOT compulsory for Tokaji Late Harvest (they can spend little or no time in oak), often stored in stainless steel to emphasise fruit characteristics. Often released 12-16 months after harvest.

Question 59

In polish it means “as it comes”. What does it indicate?

Answer 59

Szamorodni. Indicates whole bunches with varying amounts of healthy and botrytised grapes.

Question 60

Szamorodni comes in dry and sweet style. What are they called and which one is more common?

Answer 60

Édes is sweet and Száraz is dry. Édes is more common. Style is predicted by level of ripeness and amount of botrytised grapes.

Question 61

Szamorodni Édes (sweet) must have what minimum RS? Most are bottled with higher levels of RS though, like what levels?

Answer 61

45g/L is minimum, but most are bottled at 90-110g/L

Question 62

Aszú must be oaked for 18 months. What is minimum for Szamorodni?

Answer 62

6 months.

Question 63

How is dry Szamorodni aged?

Answer 63

Under a thin film of flor yeast.

Question 64

For how long can dry Szamorodni be aged under a thin film of flor yeast? What does that do to flavours and aromas?

Answer 64

Up to 10 years. The wine develops nutty and green apple aromas.

Question 65

Dry wines in Tokaj has tripled in production the last five years. Increasingly seeking to express terroir. Even single vineyard wines are being produced. What are they labelled as?

Answer 65

Dűlő

Question 66

Under PDO in Tokaj, how many percent must the labelled single varietal be in the finished wine?

Answer 66

85%