Disznókő, Tokaji Aszu 6 Puttonyos, 2002

Disznókő, Tokaji Aszu 6 Puttonyos, 2002

  • icon-type Type

    White

  • icon-year Year

    2002

  • icon-style Style

    Sweet

  • icon-country Country

    Hungary

  • icon-alcohollevel Alcohol level

    10.5%

  • icon-grapevariety Grape variety
    Furmint 100%

The key word for the 2002 vintage is precision, like an archer aiming from afar but reaching target with accuracy and agility. The wines have a very aromatic and soft attack, followed by a wonderful mouthwatering freshness.

Although the 2002 vintage is not reputed as being great in Tokaj in general, it is particularly outstanding at Disznókő. The vintage is clearly reminiscent of the classic years, like 1999. Dry, warm and sunny weather in September resulted in perfect shrivelling.

The team worked in the vineyard with excellent timing and selected most of the aszú grapes affected by Botrytis in late September and early October. Their fruity and spicy wines exemplify a supreme balance between sugar and acidity, the sweet and the tangy.

Progressing from golden to deep amber depending on its age. Great precision and finesse in the nose. When young, Disznókő Tokaji Aszú 6 puttonyos buzzes with freshness: citrus, honey, tropical fruits. Over 18 years old, it has developed even greater aromatic complexity with the emergence of dried fruits, spices (mints), tobacco box and toasted notes. Creamy and full-bodied, while retaining the distinctive Disznókő freshness. Intensity combined with finesse and a lingering finish. Opulent and elegant.

About Disznókő

Disznókő, declared First Growth in 1732, is one of the most favourable sites for aszú grape development in the Tokaj Wine Region. The arrival of the fungus (the Botrytis) and the shrivelling of the fully-ripe grape result in the aszú grape.

Disznókő is one of the only estates in the Tokaj Wine Region to be one single tract of land. 104 hectares (256 acres) of vines set in 150 hectares (370 acres). Moreover, this is one of the few Tokaj wineries set in its vineyard. And every Disznókő wine comes from this vineyard.

As a consequence we have daily contact with the vineyard and a high level of responsiveness (crop protection, harvest). We have thus gained in-depth knowledge of all our plots. The grapes are all vinified separately giving us an intimate understanding of the estate. This enables us to bring out the best from our grapes to ensure phenomenal wines. Our quest for purity has driven us to craft wines from unique small individual parcels too in order to highlight their individual character (Kapi Vineyard).

Grape variety
Furmint

Furmint is a white Hungarian wine grape variety that is most noted widely grown in the Tokaj-Hegyalja wine region where it is used to produce single-varietal dry wines as well as being the principal grape in the better known Tokaji dessert wines. It is also grown in the tiny Hungarian wine region of Somló. Furmint plays a similar role in the Slovakian wine region of Tokaj. It is also grown in Austria where it is known as Mosler. Smaller plantings are found in Slovenia where it is known as Šipon. The grape is also planted in Croatia, where it is known as Moslavac. It is also found in Romania and in former republics of the Soviet Union. Furmint is a late ripening variety. For dry wines the harvest starts usually in September, however sweet wine specific harvest can start in the second half of October or even later, and is often affected by Botrytis.

The name Furmint may have been taken from the word froment for the wheat-gold colour of the wine it produces. While it is possible that the grape was brought to Hungary in the 13th century during the reign of King Béla IV, ampelographers believe that the grape is likely native to the region

Alternative Names: Mosler, Sipon, Moslovac, Zapfner, Posip

About Tokaj

Tokaj (formerly Tokaj-Hegyalja) has long been Hungary's most famous and respected wine region, thanks mostly to its nectar-like, botrytized Tokaji dessert wines. The region and its wine are held in such esteem in Hungary that the Hungarian national anthem thanks God that Tokaj szőlővesszein nektárt csepegtettél ("into the vineyards of Tokaj you dripped sweet nectar").

The ham-shaped region is located in the northeast of Hungary, near the border with Slovakia. Comprising roughly 30 small towns and villages, it measures 25 miles (40km) from southwest to northeast, making it roughly the same size as Burgundy's Cote d'Or. At its very southern edge is the town of Tokaj from which the region and its wines ultimate take their name. The main centres of Tokaji wine production are the towns of Mad, Tarcal and Tokaj itself.

Tokaj's climate is relatively warm, protected as it is by the vast crescent-shaped mountain range (the Carpathians) which dominates neighbouring Slovakia and Romania. The region's soils are a patchwork of various types. Volcanic clays are to be found in the higher sites on the many hillsides here, and on lower-lying sites layers of loess and other sedimentary soils cover the bedrock. Closer to the banks of the Bodrog, the river which flows along the region's eastern edge, sandier soils prevail, particularly around Tokaj town.

The grape varieties used to make Tokaji wines are Furmint, Harslevelu and Sárga Muskotály (Muscat Blanc), in that order of importance. Furmint, which dominates the Tokaji blend, is renowned for its naturally high acidity, high sugar levels and spicy aromatic profile. The first two of these characteristics are responsible for the wine's phenomenal ageing potential, while the latter provides a flavour distinct from any other sweet wine.

The aszú (botrytized) wines for which Tokaj is known are made from grapes affected by benevolent Botrytis cinerea fungus. This beneficial fungus dehydrates the grape berries, concentrating their sugars and leaving a trademark honeysuckle aroma in the wine.

The sweetness of Tokaji aszu wines is indicated in "puttonyos". A puttonyo is a large basket used for harvesting grapes; the number of puttonyos of aszu grapes added to a 136-liter barrel of base wine was a traditional measure of the wines' sweetness. In modern times this has been transposed into a more precise system based on grams per litre of residual sugar. Three puttonyos indicates 25g/l - the lowest sugar content and thus the least sweet of the aszu wine styles. Each additional puttonyo thereafter indicates an increase of 5g/l of residual sugar. Eszencia is the very sweetest aszu style. With around 800 g/l of residual sugar, it is so sweet, and so low in alcohol (about 5 percent ABV) that it hardly qualifies as wine at all. It is the undiluted, barely fermented juice of botrytized berries. Unsurprisingly, Eszencia is one of the rarest and most expensive wines on earth.

The non-azsu Tokaji wines receive less attention than their sweeter brothers. These szamorodni wines are those made without any additions of pure aszu berries (szamorodni means literally "as it was grown"), although the grapes may well have been harvested with a certain amount of naturally-occurring botrytis. Even within the szamorodni style there are several sweetness levels, from dry száraz to sweet édes. The typical szamorodni wine has a sweetness comparable to an azsu of 2 or 3 puttonyos. Most of these wines are matured for a couple of years, and have a gently oxidized, sherry-like character.

Dry Tokaji wines are increasingly popular in the 21st Century, in line with international consumer demand. These can be divided roughly into two categories: fresh, steel-fermented wines best drunk within a few years of harvest, and age worthy, cask-matured wines.

Regular price $165.00

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