Vintage Reports
2008
A very strong year for dry whites and reds. In Villány this
represented a third- straight top vintage and strongly resembled
2007. There was however some unwelcome botrytis in Szekszárd. Many
Balaton whites achieved serious depth and concentration and exude
pure flavours and refined aromas. 2008 cannot be said to be
among the top Tokaj vintages, but it was still a very good year
with plenty of botrytis which is expected to deliver fragrant and
highly accessible Aszú wines with no shortage of complexity, albeit
a little lighter in body than the landmark years.
2007
After the excellent 2006 vintage for dry whites and reds, 2007
brought forth another high quality vintage although the intense
heat led to a slight shortage of acidity. There was also some
damage caused to vines by the heat. Early releases of reds are
impressive and show all the promise of a vintage comparable to
2006. Dry whites have plenty of body and many have sufficient
acids. In Tokaj there was also a lack of the trademark acidity,
though this is proving to be a unique vintage due to the incredible
concentration. By the time botrytis hit, the grapes were remarkably
ripe which produced ideal Aszú berries and wines of intense fruit
character.
2006
An outstanding vintage for reds thanks to a long and even
growing season. Dry whites are notable for their abundant fruit,
substantial body and balanced acids. In Tokaj, the weather was
similar to 2005 with a cool summer followed by a long warm autumn,
resulting in excellent Aszú grapes that are producing layered wines
with pure dried fruit notes.
2005
A challenging vintage, with the notable exception of Tokaj,
whereby a wet August led to problems from diseases though careful
vineyard management limited the damage. Villány suffered
significantly from heavy rainfall but late ripening grapes
recovered well, benefiting from the Indian summer. 2005 is
considered an outstanding vintage for Tokaji Aszú, and pushed 1999
closely as the best vintage of recent times. In Tokaj the somewhat
cool and damp summer meant plenty of moisture was already in the
air to encourage botrytis to develop. Then came a prolonged Indian
summer but with fog also enveloping the region, resulting in plenty
of botrytis and its associated shrivelling that concentrated the
sugars in the Aszú grapes berries.
2004
This wet vintage proved a difficult vintage for big reds with
many blends lighter bodied than usual, but there was some very good
Pinot Noir made in Villány, which is often considered too hot for
the varietal. Dry whites were less affected although came out
lighter bodied than usual. In Tokaj the cool and rainy summer
delayed the harvest and maturation proved uneven. However, those
who picked at the right time have succeeded in making fruity and
elegant wines.
2003
A hot but even growing season led to a landmark vintage for reds
across the country, which is considered to even surpass 2000. Most
of the big reds have sold out but those that remain show classic
mature notes to complement the immense fruit. Botrytis occurred
late in Tokaj but finally delivered excellent Aszú berries with
botrytis further spread by October rains. The Aszú wines are
extremely complex and multi-layered.