Tokaj
The region that has the world's oldest classification system,
which dates back to 1772, has succeeded in keeping the noble
Hungarian varieties of Furmint and Hárslevelű, which account for
69.9% and 17.8% of the region's 5,840 hectares respectively, firmly
in the forefront. Their presence in the mixed volcanic soils and
unique terroir at the meeting point of the Tisza and Bodrog rivers
encourages abundant botrytis, producing the truly unique and
world-class Tokaji Aszú dessert wines. Sárgamuskotály (Muscat
Lunel) is not indigenous, it's the same as French Muscat Blanc à
Petits Grains, but is the third most important grape in Tokaj with
7.7% of plantings. It can have a powerful floral and grapey
fragrance that can add to the aroma of Aszú. Zéta has 1.9%, and
Kövérszőlő, the so-called "fat" grape, 0.7% of vineyard area and
spice up and flesh out Tokaji Aszú blends.
Tokaji Aszú 6 puttonyos typically contains around 150g/l of
residual sugar while Aszú-eszencia and Eszencia, the free run juice
of botrytised berries, head up to 180g/l and 250g/l or residual
sugar respectively. Szamorodni, literally "as it comes" can be both
dry and sweet (around 30g/l). As these wines require long ripening,
more fruit forward late-harvest wines intended for earlier drinking
created their own market. A relatively recent trend has been for
terroir transmitting dry wines from Furmint that have met with
serious international acclaim. Hárslevelű, and now Sárgamuskotály
are also impressing in the dry stakes. Kabar is a relatively new
crossing of Hárslevelű with Bouvier and is permitted according to
the region's regulation. However, other whites like Sauvignon Blanc
and Chardonnay, which are practically negligible in terms of
vineyard share, are released as so-called country wine (Tájbor)
under the name Zempléni, after the region's hill range.
Foreign investors flooded in during the privatisation of the former
state company in the early 1990's and established a number of large
state-of-the-art wineries that for the most part pursued a fresher
style than had become the norm. This angered many advocates of the
oxidised "old" style Aszú, whereby the wine is encouraged to
oxidise in the barrel by, for example, half filling it. This method
has its roots in the former system rather than in Tokaj's more
glorious past when it was in serious demand in the courts of
Europe. Now the trend is more for Hungarians to invest in the
region.
Tokaj's soil is often brown forest soil formed on a volcanic base
originating from rhyolite, andesite and the related tuffs. Hard
clay, stony "nyirok" soil that is difficult to cultivate also occur
here and loess on the spurs of Kopasz Hill. Tokaj has warm summers,
long, sunny and humid autumns and cold winters.