Tokaji Aszueszencia 2006

Awards

Gold Medal and Trophy for Best Sweet Wine at the 2011 Hong Kong International Wine Competition.

Wine Spectator 94 points, and Wine Spectator's “Hot Wine“ for issue 46, 2011 “Sweet, yet exceptionally bright, with juicy acidity lifting the grapefruit, apricot and passion fruit notes, as layers of honey, date
and spice roll on through the superlong finish. Drink now through 2030.”

Gábor Botond Bányai, Borigo Magazine: 94-96 points (and the highest score at the official Tokaji Premier tasting). "Stunning nose with equally stunning intensity, way beyond the ordinary, with elegant perfume and flower notes, fleshy and fresh. Similar aromatics on the palate. The sweetness – matched well by acidity – is just unbelievable; I have never tasted a wine with this much personality. In the end, the acidity has to catch up a little bit, yet the finish has a creaminess that is out of this world. A completely new paradigm among aszú wines, it will surely stir up the world. Truly extravagant."

Wine Information

Alc. 7.2%, Residual sugar 316 g/L, Acidity 11,2 g/L, Sugar-free extract 64 g/L, Yield 2.2 hl/ha = 1.5 oz (44ml)/vine.

• Individual, first class, botrytized (aszú) berries, with over 70% sugar content, were picked berry by berry, over 8 weeks, in October and November 2006, from Zéta, Muscat, Hárslevelu and Furmint grape clusters in our first class Betsek and Veresek vineyards.
• Average daily aszú berry quantity gathered by a harvester: 45 pounds = 20 kg.
• To soak and extract these aszú berries, a basewine was made from overripe Muscat, Hárslevelu and Furmint grapes.
• “Cold soak” for 24 hours, followed by gentle pressing in a traditional hand operated basket press.
• Completely natural, local wild yeast fermentation without any nutrient addition.
• Barrel fermented and aged in new Hungarian oak barrels (Kádár Hungary, 225L, light toast) for 40 months.
• 11 individual lots blended for final assemblage. Fined and filtered using bentonite/paper filter/membrane.
• Hand bottled on 10-14th of April, 2010. Cork: Procork Fleur 45x24 mm.
• 11,500 bottles produced (7,000 of 375 ml custom made Saver Tokaji / 4,500 of 500 ml stamped Tokaji bottles)
• Aged in bottle for 17 months prior to its release in September of 2011

Simply gorgeous with Epoisses, blue cheese, lobster, foie gras, dried fruit and creme brulee. Or sip by itself!