Tokaji Aszú 3 Puttonyos 2011

Sárospatak Castle is a monument of late Renaissance architecture in Hungary and is named after its town. It is part of Hungarian national heritage. The Tokaji of this name are produced only in the best years in order to create exceptional vintages. They come from the wine-growing areas of Sarospatak, Tolcsva and the south of the appellation and are acclaimed today by the great Sommellerie. Rich in sugars, aromas and acids, the so-called “ Aszú ” berries (which means “dried out” in Hungarian) come from grapes dried out on the vine or affected by noble rot. The aszú berries are harvested grain by grain and by successive sorting, which represents a colossal amount of work in the vines. Then, these berries are added to a base white wine and macerated for several days until they imbue the wine with its extraordinary flavors .

The 2011 vintage made it possible to produce great sweet wines, with sumptuous acidity/sugar balances. In the Tokaji Aszù classification preceding 2013, units 3, 4, 5 and 6 puttonyos indicated the level of sugar and concentration of the berries used in production. Since 2013, Aszù 3 and 4 puttonyos have been removed from the new classification, allowing only 5 and 6 puttonyos in the future. Therefore, this Tokaji Aszu 3 Puttonyos 2011 is certainly the last 3 puttonyos available on the market. This wine was produced from the following grape varieties: 65% Furmint, 25% Zeta and 10% Harslevelu. It was aged in Hungarian barrels for 24 months then an additional year in bottle. The wine is very aromatic and immediately reveals complex aromas of candied fruits such as apricot , pear , orange , and nectarine . Around this fruity core are added notes of vanilla , toasted almond , honey , nutmeg , raisins and cinnamon . The flavors are particularly harmonious with a sugar/acidity balance which is those of great years. The finish is long and salivating, which makes it a true sweet gastronomic wine.

It was the Romans who planted the first vines at a time when the Country was part of a region called Pannonia. It was at the dawn of the 18th century that Hungary, united with Austria, ensured the export of its most famous wine throughout Europe: Tokaj (from the Fürmint grape variety). As throughout Europe, in the 19th century, viticulture was destroyed by phylloxera. During the communist period, vineyards were managed in cooperatives which guaranteed a stable income for wine producers. Quite a few small winegrowers were unable to keep up with this growing economy, so the Hungarian vineyard was restructured, losing 30% of its surface area in the process. Nowadays, many family estates have emerged, some of which produce wines of incredible quality. As everywhere in Europe, viticulture is in decline as part of the European restructuring plan for the wine industry. Hungary, which is at the same latitude as Burgundy, has a continental climate with hot summers and cold winters. The rainfall is sufficient for non-irrigated viticulture and the soils are heterogeneous and of high quality depending on the region. With around a hundred indigenous and international grape varieties, the country has good varietal diversity. The fürmint and the hárslevelü from the Tokaj region, vinified dry and at the origin of the great sweet wines of Tokaj, are undoubtedly the best-known varieties today. The most widely planted grape variety is Olasrizling for whites and Kéfrankos for reds. International grape varieties, mainly Bordeaux grape varieties, flourish in particular in the south of the country where they produce high-class wines.