Hungary's treasure: The Tokaji aszú

And although the aforementioned decades are not exactly among the most glorious periods of Hungarian wine, the then government was indeed right in one thing: Tokaji Aszú is rare. Not just in Hungary, but all over the world.

Tokaji around the world

The French know Tokaji, just as they precisely know in New York's restaurants or Tokyo's wine bars what Tokaji Aszú is. They may not be able to tell where Hungary is located, and they might never have drunk aszú before, but they know there is such a wine, unique in the world.

This is why we are extremely fortunate. One of the world's best wines, the undoubtedly unparalleled and inimitable Tokaji Aszú, is accessible from any corner of Hungary within a few hours, and a wine enthusiast traveler can taste aszús that will entirely reevaluate their previous ideas and opinions about the wine region and aszú.

What exactly is Tokaji aszú?

Aszú is a natural sweet wine, typically made from Furmint grapes in the Tokaj-Hegyalja wine region. The inimitable microclimate, special terroir, and 500 years of experience make it possible for Tokaji Aszú to be available only in this wine region. A key to and fundamental condition for the production of aszú is botrytis, or noble rot, which can be reliably expected every year in Tokaj due to the aforementioned special environmental conditions.

The fungus transforms the flavor substances in the grape, enriching the berries with new aromas. The harvest of aszú grapes also takes place later, and it's difficult to predict exactly when, as it can be any time between October and December. Everything depends on the maturity level of the grapes, and in the case of aszú harvest, pickers may return to the same vine up to 3 or 4 times to ensure only the best berries make it into the harvesting baskets.

5 puttony, 6 puttony? It Depends on how the Tokaji aszú is made!

The journey of the aszú grapes from harvest is also not typical. The grapes are not immediately pressed but are first soaked for 24-48 hours in wine of the same vintage or in fermenting must. Then the aszú paste that has risen to the surface of the wine is removed, pressed, and from this must the aszú wine is made. Thanks to strict regulations, aszú must age for at least 18 months before bottling, and can then be stored for several decades without quality degradation.

The concentration of aszú is indicated by the number of puttonys, and although we used to encounter 3 and 4 puttony aszús, from the 2013 harvest onwards, only 5 or 6 puttony Tokaji Aszús can be marketed. To understand the meaning of the puttony number, we need to go back to the old Tokaji times. The so-called Gönci barrel is the basic unit of measurement, holding 136 liters of wine. If this amount of wine is mixed with the amount of grapes equivalent to 5 puttonys (about 28-30 kg of aszú grapes fit in one puttony), it becomes 5 puttony, and similarly for 6 puttony aszú.

Discovering Tokaj, tasting the aszú

The best place to taste wine is where it was made. Accordingly, anyone who really wants to know aszú must visit the Tokaji wine region. You can taste in large or smaller cellars, the surrounding landscape and the winemakers' attitude will be a lasting experience, and having known the complex flavor world of Tokaji Aszú, no one will question why it is considered one of the world's best wines. Similar to aszú, the Tokaji wine region is extremely complex, but discovering the area is well worth the time and energy, and you will surely fall in love with this unique part of Hungary.