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From the dry or sweet varietals to the exceedingly rare Tokaji Eszencia, the greatest care is lavished on vinification and ageing. The exact methods depend on the type of wine. The most unusal is undoubtedly the famous Tokaj Aszú, which is literally harvested grape by grape between late October and the first snowfall. "The weather may be better or worse, but we only start on the feast day of Saint Simon Jude" (Tokaj proverb). Traditionally, picking does not start until October 28th and can last as long as the first snow. This late harvesting enables the Botrytis cinerea (noble rot) to achieve maximum concentration. The grapes, which have reached a candied state at this point, are crushed until an extremely thick, sugary paste is obtained. The sweet paste of botrytized winegrapes is added by vintage baskets-full (called puttonyos in Hungarian) to the dry white base wine made from non-botrytized grapes. This step is necessary to start fermentation, since in Tokaj the "Aszu" Berries are shriveled way beyond the botrytis levels of France or Germany. The number of vintage baskets-full determines Tokaji Aszú's sugar level, which can vary from 3 to 6 puttonyos. Tokaj wines age in oak barrels for several years in miles of magnificant stone cellars dug out of volcanic rock. The galleries form a veritable labyrinth with constant temperature and humidity levels. The most famous of these is the Rákóczi Cellars, property of the Hétszölö Estate, built at the beginning of the 15th century in the heart of the city of Tokaj. These have belonged to kings, princes and generals. The cellars are currently visited by a large number of tourists and wine professionals, and are the setting for many prestigious events. |
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Tokaj Wines Home Page
