We are excited that the new edition of Karen MacNeil's Wine Bible is finally out and we cannot thank her enough for her wonderful work! This is what we found in her in-depth review of Tokaj:
"ALANA-TOKAJ - A WINERY KNOWN FOR MIND-BLOWINGLY DELICIOUS TOKAJI”
ALANA-TOKAJ MUSCAT BETSEK
“During my immersion into Hungarian wine, this was one of the most exquisite late-harvest wines I drank. The luscious flavors of lychee are so mesmerizing and intense that I’m convinced this wine tastes more like lychees than lychees do. But, far from monochromatic, Alana-Tokaj’s sweet muscat (specifically muscat blanc a petit grains) from the Betsek vineyard (one of the vineyards historically ranked Primae Classis, First Class) soars into rushes of flowery meadows, wild lavender, orange marmalade, lemon curd, white pepper and allspice. Fresh and vibrant, the wine seems thoroughly animated and alive. Winemaker Attila Gabor Nemeth and his family acquired the last Tokaji vineyard holdings of the royal Hapsburg family in 2005, all of which were ranked First Class. Attila immediately got down to work by severely cutting back the yields (now below those of Bordeaux’s Chateau d’Yquem) and pushing the harvest as late as possible (into December/January in most years) to maximize the concentration of the grapes’ flavors. Also not to be missed: Alana-Tokaj’s Aszueszencia, a Tokaji Aszueszencia that’s mind-blowingly silken in texture and hypnotically rich.”
The Wine Bible by Karen MacNeil, Second Edition, 2015