Royal Tokaji Wine Company Blue Label 5 Puttonyos 2007

Interational Wine Challenge 2011
Tokaji Trophy

TASTING NOTE

Rich, sweet and concentrated wine made in a clean, modern style but showing an impressive complexity. Notes of apricots, honey and oranges can be found on the nose and palate, which offers a luscious, sensual, mouth filling texture and lingering finish.

Soils are largely clay or loess with a volcanic substratum. Vines are approximately 30 years old. Yields are staggeringly low 10 hectolitres per hectare. The meeting of the two rivers Tisza and Bodrog at Tokaj creates a mist similar to in Sauternes which encourages noble rot to affect the dried and shrivelled Aszu grapes. One vine yields approximately one glass of wine.
Aszu grapes are individually picked from bunches into 20 litre wooden tubs called puttony. The Aszu grapes are crushed, releasing their intensely sweet juice. The non-Aszu grapes added per barrel of base wine gives the final puttony level of the wine, as printed on the label.
Fermentation takes place in used 140 litre Gonci barrels made from Hungarian oak, in cellars extending for over 2kms where natural yeasts abound, and can take one or two years.
Aszu wines must legally be matured for three years. Royal Tokaji wines are usually aged for longer, however still retaining their distinctive uplifting acidity.

11.5% ABV

50CL