2005 Tokaji Aszu 6 Puttonyos Kapi

100% Furmint for both Aszú grapes and base must. This special bottling has been made only in 1999, 2005 and 2011 so far. 2005 was a cooler year so the later pickings went into this bottling. RS 165 g/l, TA 10.7 g/l. Amber colour. There’s a very slight note of decay? (JR)

(from vines situated on poor soil in the upper part of the southern slopes of the Disznókő estate; 12% alcohol, 165 g/l r.s. and 10.7 acidity; all furmint): Healthy bright orange-gold. Lovely lift to the aromas of soft citrus fruits, lime blossom, honey and gunflint. Began a bit aggressive with alcohol but aeration brought superconcentrated and very pure flavors of tangerine, orange marmalade, lime, minerals and nut meats. Not yet particularly aromatic in the mid-palate but the fine-grained, minerally finish expands slowly and inexorably, demonstrating a distinctly elegant touch. Mészáros says the botrytis here is especially fine; he macerated the aszú paste with the fermenting must.

The 2005 Tokaji Aszu Kapi Vineyard 6-Puttonyos is a pure Furmint picked on November 23 and 24 from the parcel lying close to the Disznok? winery, and this was only the second time it has appeared after its 1999 debut. The aszu berries were added to the fermenting must and it spent 30 months in oak. It has a very floral bouquet with apricot jam, dried honey, a slight adhesive note and a touch of dried pineapple. The palate is medium-bodied with a viscous opening. It has great vivacity and minerality, with piercing acidity cutting through the 165 grams per liter residual sugar on the effervescent finish. This is very youthful and will need a few more years in bottle. Drink 2016-2045+. Disznoko became part of French insurance giant AXA Millesime’s portfolio in 1992, though the name existed prior to Soviet occupation, not as a winery estate but as the site of a First Growth as recorded in 1732 (think of it being similar to a French lieu-dit.) Director Lazlo Meszaros has been at the helm here since 1995, Seely providing what you might describe as a “guiding hand” and advice during the harvest and blending. The three-tiered winery located just outside the town of Mad is relatively large in scale for the region, perhaps seen as a statement of intent when AXA-Millesimes branched out into Tokaj. Its aging cellar is carved out of the rock below the winery some 10 metres below the ground, accommodating their French and Hungarian 225-liter oak barrels, of which approximately one-third are new. They cultivate 105 hectares of vine in a single L-shaped block above the winery. Only estate-grown fruit is used, the vines comprising of 60% Furmint, 30% Harslevelu, 9% Zeta and 1% Yellow Muscat. In terms of their approach, I would refer you to Lazlo’s comments in the introduction to this piece, where he offers interesting perspectives toward botrytis formation and aszu blending. Needless to say, this was a strong set of Tokaji wines. Lazlo made it clear that while they acknowledge the proliferation of dry wines, Disznoko is and always will be focused upon sweet 5- and 6-Puttonyos aszu wines. Importer: Vintus Wines, Pleasantville, NY; tel. (914) 769-3000