1999 Chateau Imperial Tokaj Aszu 4 Puttonyos (500ml)
The Tokaj lies 240 kms north-east of Budapest, Hungary, situated in the Zemplen Mountains at the confluence of the Tisza and Bodrog rivers. The soil is largely clay or loess with a volcanic substratum. Tokaj enjoys long sunny summers, while dry autumns and the early morning mists, created by the meeting of the two rivers, encourage the development of noble rot on aszu berries.
The Botrytis Cinerea makes the berries dry and shrivel, thus concentrating the compounds and developing the Aszu berries. All of these characteristic elements give the Tokaji wineries their own distinctive and unique terroir
Aszú: This is the world-famous wine that is proudly cited in the Hungarian national anthem. It is the sweet, topaz-colored wine that was formerly known throughout the English-speaking world as Tokay.
The original meaning of the Hungarian word aszú was "dried", but the term aszú came to be associated with the type of wine made with botrytised (i.e. "nobly" rotten) grapes. The process of making Aszú wine is as follows:
Aszú berries are individually picked, then collected in huge vats and trampled into the consistency of paste (known as aszú dough). Must or wine is poured on the aszú dough and left for 24–48 hours, stirred occasionally. The wine is racked off into wooden casks or vats where fermentation is completed and the aszú wine is to mature. The casks are stored in a cool environment, and are not tightly closed, so a slow fermentation process continues in the cask, usually for several years.
The concentration of aszú was traditionally defined by the number of puttony of dough added to a Gönc cask (136 liter barrel) of must. Nowadays the puttony number is based on the content of sugar and sugar-free extract in the mature wine. Aszú ranges from 3 puttonyos to 6 puttonyos, with a further category called Aszú-Eszencia representing wines above 6 puttonyos. Unlike most other wines, alcohol content of aszú typically runs higher than 14%. Annual production of aszú is less than one percent of the region's total output.
These wines from Chateau Imperial always score way into the 90s by reviewers. The range of flavors and experiences noted by people is astounding, though the one thing they have in common is that all are thoroughly pleased and happy. Cream, crème brulee, green apple, lightly roasted nuts, apricots, honey, carmelized sugar, graham crackers, banana and light flowery notes have been noted by people. Saturating the palate, it leads to a long, relishing finish. But the more interesting part of the wine lies in the feelings it evokes in people. My favorite review said, “This wine is really, very hedonistic, exotic, spiritual, sensual, sophisticated, perfectly balanced, and uplifting in every possible way. It brings indescribable flavors and thought-provoking sensations. The aromas and the flavors are two different experiences. This is perfection.”
Some have compared these Hungarian wines to light Sauternes, but I feel they hold their own place. With all of these botrytised wines, I personally relish the experience of drinking them over several days and noting the differences in the taste and experience each day as the wine, a still living being, opens and transforms more and more, revealing its more subtle essence.
Can still age and develop for quite some time, though ready to drink right now and float away in bliss.
The Botrytis Cinerea makes the berries dry and shrivel, thus concentrating the compounds and developing the Aszu berries. All of these characteristic elements give the Tokaji wineries their own distinctive and unique terroir
Aszú: This is the world-famous wine that is proudly cited in the Hungarian national anthem. It is the sweet, topaz-colored wine that was formerly known throughout the English-speaking world as Tokay.
The original meaning of the Hungarian word aszú was "dried", but the term aszú came to be associated with the type of wine made with botrytised (i.e. "nobly" rotten) grapes. The process of making Aszú wine is as follows:
Aszú berries are individually picked, then collected in huge vats and trampled into the consistency of paste (known as aszú dough). Must or wine is poured on the aszú dough and left for 24–48 hours, stirred occasionally. The wine is racked off into wooden casks or vats where fermentation is completed and the aszú wine is to mature. The casks are stored in a cool environment, and are not tightly closed, so a slow fermentation process continues in the cask, usually for several years.
The concentration of aszú was traditionally defined by the number of puttony of dough added to a Gönc cask (136 liter barrel) of must. Nowadays the puttony number is based on the content of sugar and sugar-free extract in the mature wine. Aszú ranges from 3 puttonyos to 6 puttonyos, with a further category called Aszú-Eszencia representing wines above 6 puttonyos. Unlike most other wines, alcohol content of aszú typically runs higher than 14%. Annual production of aszú is less than one percent of the region's total output.
These wines from Chateau Imperial always score way into the 90s by reviewers. The range of flavors and experiences noted by people is astounding, though the one thing they have in common is that all are thoroughly pleased and happy. Cream, crème brulee, green apple, lightly roasted nuts, apricots, honey, carmelized sugar, graham crackers, banana and light flowery notes have been noted by people. Saturating the palate, it leads to a long, relishing finish. But the more interesting part of the wine lies in the feelings it evokes in people. My favorite review said, “This wine is really, very hedonistic, exotic, spiritual, sensual, sophisticated, perfectly balanced, and uplifting in every possible way. It brings indescribable flavors and thought-provoking sensations. The aromas and the flavors are two different experiences. This is perfection.”
Some have compared these Hungarian wines to light Sauternes, but I feel they hold their own place. With all of these botrytised wines, I personally relish the experience of drinking them over several days and noting the differences in the taste and experience each day as the wine, a still living being, opens and transforms more and more, revealing its more subtle essence.
Can still age and develop for quite some time, though ready to drink right now and float away in bliss.
This delectable bottle of wine
could easily run you $150+ plus tax.
Float away with mine for only $101.
Sorry, but it is gone now.
I opened this, drank and cooked with it and enjoyed it IMMENSELY!