Royal Tokaji

Winemaking

The methods and traditions of producing Tokaji wines have changed little since the 17th century when Aszú grapes were individually harvested from bunches and collected in 20-liter (55-pound) wooden tubs called puttonyos or hods. The number of puttonyos added to each barrel of base wine made the previous year from grapes unaffected by botrytis determined the puttonyos level of the wine. On a scale of one to six, the more puttonyos the sweeter, richer and rarer the Tokaji. The process remains the same today, minus the clumsy, heavy hods. 

Tokaji Aszú and Aszú Essencia Wines

The berries are crushed once they arrive at the winery, and the syrupy aszú paste is added to each gönci (140-liter or 37-gallon barrel, named after the village of Gönc, known for its barrel making) of base wine. The mixture is stirred repeatedly for two or more days to extract the natural sugars and aromas of the paste.  

The small casks are then stored in Royal Tokaji’s 13th-century cellars, originally dug out in defense against Turkish invaders. Here, along the moss- and mold-covered walls, is where a second fermentation takes place—a result of the addition of the aszú paste and one that can take several months to several years, due to the cold cellar temperatures and the high sugar content of the wine. Legally, Tokaji Aszú wines must be aged for a minimum of three years prior to release; Royal Tokaji’s wines are usually aged for a longer period of time and only in old oak — no stainless steel and no new oak — to truly express the terroir of each vineyard and allow the elegance of the fruit to shine through.

Essencia 

Essencia is produced using only the free-run juice that slowly oozes from the puttonyos as aszú grapes await crushing — no base wine is added. This juice that accumulates at the bottom of a vat by the gentle pressure of the grapes’ own weight is sticky and pours like rich honey. Because sugar levels can be as high as 85 percent, the juice ferments extremely slowly — it took the 2000 Essencia seven years in Royal Tokaji’s cellars to reach only two percent alcohol.

Measuring Sweetness

Today, a wine’s puttonyos level is determined by the amount of residual sugar in the finished wine, thus the key factor in the production of Tokaji Aszú wines is the proportion of aszú berries to base wine. 

Below is a chart outlining the sugar levels and percentage of Aszu in Tokaji Aszú wines.

Minimum residual sugar levels:
3 puttonyos: 60g/L
4 puttonyos: 90g/L
5 puttonyos: 120g/L
6 puttonyos: 150g/L
Aszú Essencia: 180g/L
Essencia: 415g/L  

Percentage of Aszú wine in blends:
5 puttonyos: 60%
6 puttonyos: 70%
Aszú Essencia: 85%-90%