Royal Tokaji Blue Label 5 Puttonyos Aszu 50cl

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In chapter four of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's The Sign of the Four (1890), Thaddeus Sholto offers Miss Morstan Chianti or Tokay, as the only two refreshments he had on hand.

After the harvest, the aszú grapes are macerated in base wine or fermenting must (which was made from the first harvest) for between 12 and 60 hours. Next, the aszú grape mixture that was macerated in the base wine (sometimes called the aszú dough) is pressed and the resulting juice is fermented. The wine is then stored in oak barrels, which are typically made from oak from the nearby Zemplén forest, and aged for several years in the underground stone cellar systems that’s unique to the Tokaj region. MEASURING SWEETNESS In H. Warner Allen's short story "Tokay of the Comet Year" (1930), a rare Tokay features prominently in a complex plot involving spies and a missing treaty. Grand Rabbi Shmuel Schneersohn of Lubavitch was known to drink Kosher Tokaji wines on celebratory occasions, such as on completion of his famous series of discourses titled "Vekocho" in the year 1878. [13] Other uses of the Tokaji appellation [ edit ] The sweetness of Tokaj aszú has traditionally been measured in puttonys. A puttony is a 25-liter wooden tub, which was used for harvesting the aszú grapes. The most prized types of Tokaji aszú were made as either a five puttonyos version or a six puttonyos version, which means that the equivalent of five or six tubs of botrytized grapes had been added to each cask of must or base wine. (In Tokaj, aszú is made in 136-liter Gönc casks). So the higher the puttony number, the sweeter, more golden colored, and more expensive the wine will be. (For a more concrete idea of the sweetness level, a three puttonyos aszú had from 60 to 90 grams of residual sugar per liter, a four puttonyos had from 90 to 120, a five puttonyos from 120 to 150, and a six puttonyos from 150 to 180.) Quality production ended with the Communist Party takeover of Hungarian winemaking. Aszú grapes were used for mass production in factories, with vineyard distinctions lost in giant tanks. Tokaj’s renaissance began after the collapse of communism with the establishment of Royal Tokaji in 1990 by well-known author Hugh Johnson and a small group of investors, who were inspired to restore and preserve Hungary’s precious wine legacy. The Tokaj Region

The Winery

These wines, once referred to as common, ordinárium, are now named after their respective grape varieties: Tokaji Furmint, Tokaji Hárslevelű, Tokaji Sárgamuskotály and Tokaji Kövérszőlő. Dry Wines: The fine quality dry Tokaji Furmint is a relatively new development in the region. For centuries the main product of the area was the sweet wine, mainly the Botrytised selections. The dry Furmint got into the attention of wine connoisseurs and experts of the world when the Úrágya 2000 single vineyard selection had been introduced by István Szepsy. The wine expressed great minerality, complexity and structure, which has been experienced only in the finest white wines of historic regions like Burgundy or the Mosel before. The aging potential was also promising. In 2003 more producers of Mád village produced single vineyard selected dry Furmint wines with great success. Mád village with its almost 1200 ha had the opportunity to produce high quality dry Furmint wine in significant quantity as a commune level wine, which can express the unique volcanic terroir of the region, this wine is named after its appellation Mad and produced by István Szepsy Jr. in the Szent Tamás Winery. Project Gutenberg e-book: https://gutenberg.org/cache/epub/13041/pg13041.html#id00174. Accessed on 10 September 2021. In the Traveller science fiction role-playing game Tokaj Escenzia (aka Tokaji Essencia) is considered such a fine wine that the entirety of Earth's production of it is reserved for the sole use of the Emperor of the interstellar Third Imperium. A famous event aboard an Azhanti High Lightning class cruiser involved an attempt to steal the Emperor's wine shipment. At the beginning of the 20th century, Tokaji Aszú wines were the most expensive in the world, served in the finest restaurants internationally and enjoyed by the Royal Courts of Europe.

Royal Tokaji’s winery is located on the main square in the village of Mád, about 240 kilometers (150 miles) northeast of Budapest in the Tokaj wine region. In honor of Royal Tokaji’s 20th anniversary, the winery was renovated entirely. Designed by the leading Hungarian architect Csaba Bodonyi, it accommodates more than 1,000 oak barrels for aging and has a stainless-steel tank capacity of 2,700 hectoliters (71,325 gallons). It has already been acclaimed as the most important in the Tokaji region due to its earth-friendly contributions, which range from a green roof to solar panels. The Wines The production of Tokaji Aszú and Eszencia is dependent on the development of a necrotrophic fruit fungus called gray mold, or botrytis. The mold develops on the berries in moist conditions (such as in foggy river valleys) and then dries when the sun comes out. This process of rotting and drying causes the grapes to shrivel and become sweet. VITICULTURĂ ROMÂNEASCĂ: Grasă de Cotnari, soiul adus de Ștefan cel Mare (1457-1504) din Transilvania – AGERPRES". Archived from the original on 31 December 2017 . Retrieved 2 June 2017. Tokaji has since the 18th century been known as "Vinum Regum, Rex Vinorum" ("Wine of Kings, King of Wines"), [11] an epithet sometimes attributed to King Louis XIV of France. In 1703, Francis Rákóczi II, Prince of Transylvania, gave Louis XIV some Tokaji wine from his Tokaj estate as a gift. The Tokaji wine was served at the French Royal court at Versailles, where it became known as Tokay.

In Slovenia, in line with the EU prohibition, the wine of Goriška Brda and Vipava regions was renamed Sauvignonasse. On the wine side of service, we have seen that the terrifying sommelier no longer exists. There is an understanding that the customer needs more warmth, and a relaxation of formality. The UK industry as a whole has increased its attention to this, which is always seen at the front end by customer. Great service does not happen by accident. Anything that can recognise its importance is fantastic. These people work hard and recognising talent and giving them that reward is very important. It’s wonderful to give them the opportunity to spend time with people like Silvano Giraldin – that has huge value for them. I also saw the Trustees getting real value from being with future talent. It’s a virtuous circle. Furmint accounts for 60% of the area and is by far the most important grape in the production of Aszú wines. Hárslevelű stands for further 30%. Nevertheless, an impressive range of different types and styles of wines are produced in the region, ranging from dry whites to the Eszencia, the world's sweetest wine. [3]