Tokaji Aszú 6 Puttonyos 2011

Sárospatak Castle is a monument of late Renaissance architecture in Hungary and is named after its town. It is part of Hungarian national heritage. The Tokaji of this name are produced only in the best years in order to create exceptional vintages. They come from the wine-growing areas of Sarospatak, Tolcsva and the south of the appellation and are acclaimed today by the great Sommellerie. Rich in sugars, aromas and acids, the so-called “ Aszú ” berries (which means “dried out” in Hungarian) come from grapes dried out on the vine or affected by noble rot. The aszú berries are harvested grain by grain and by successive sorting, which represents a colossal amount of work in the vines. Then, these berries are added to a base white wine and macerated for several days until they imbue the wine with its extraordinary flavors .

This is the first vintage where it has been possible to produce a high-class 6 Puttonyos since 2008. Global warming often causes the grapes to ripen too early in this region, which is not conducive to the production of great sweet wines. The 2011 vintage marks the return of the great "balanced" years where maturity occurs slowly and allows good production of the famous aszù grains. The complexity of flavors is both confusing and captivating. We detect a multitude of aromas such as candied apricot , candied lemon , quince paste , raisins , orange marmalade, orange blossom , chestnut honey , date , saffron , turmeric , cinnamon , or even nutmeg . The palate is of great aromatic richness, without any heaviness thanks to a refreshing acidity. The length in the mouth is that of a great year and places this wine in the category of great Tokaji.

It was the Romans who planted the first vines at a time when the Country was part of a region called Pannonia. It was at the dawn of the 18th century that Hungary, united with Austria, ensured the export of its most famous wine throughout Europe: Tokaj (from the Fürmint grape variety). As throughout Europe, in the 19th century, viticulture was destroyed by phylloxera. During the communist period, vineyards were managed in cooperatives which guaranteed a stable income for wine producers. Quite a few small winegrowers were unable to keep up with this growing economy, so the Hungarian vineyard was restructured, losing 30% of its surface area in the process. Nowadays, many family estates have emerged, some of which produce wines of incredible quality. As everywhere in Europe, viticulture is in decline as part of the European restructuring plan for the wine industry. Hungary, which is at the same latitude as Burgundy, has a continental climate with hot summers and cold winters. The rainfall is sufficient for non-irrigated viticulture and the soils are heterogeneous and of high quality depending on the region. With around a hundred indigenous and international grape varieties, the country has good varietal diversity. The fürmint and the hárslevelü from the Tokaj region, vinified dry and at the origin of the great sweet wines of Tokaj, are undoubtedly the best-known varieties today. The most widely planted grape variety is Olasrizling for whites and Kéfrankos for reds. International grape varieties, mainly Bordeaux grape varieties, flourish in particular in the south of the country where they produce high-class wines.