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WSET Level 4 - D3 > Tokaj > Flashcards

Tokaj Flashcards

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1
Q

What was Tokaj known for historically?

A
  • Aszú first mentioned 1571: sweet wines made from shrivelled and botrytis-affected grapes
  • 18th century: One of the first controlled appellations
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2
Q

Why did the reputation deteriorate?

A
  • Communist state in 1945
  • Focus shift from quality to quantity
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3
Q

What helped to rebuild Tokaj’s reputation in the last 25 years and what it is known for today?

A
  • 1990s: foreign investors (e.g., AXA, Vega Sicilia)
  • Fresher, fruitier style of Aszú and high quality dry wines
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4
Q

Where is the Tokaj located?

A
  • North-eastern corner of Hungary
  • Latitude: 48°-49° N
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5
Q

Describe the climate

A
  • Moderate continental
  • Warm summers, cold winters
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6
Q

How are vineyards situated?

A
  • Mostly on slopes to reduce risk of frost
  • South-facing for max sunlight
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7
Q

What is the rainfall and is irrigation permitted?

A
  • 500-600mm
  • Yes
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8
Q

Why is the climate suitable for sweet wines?

A
  • Two rivers (Tisza, Bodrog)
  • Moist air results in Botrytis
  • Warm autumn sun limits grey rot
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9
Q

What is the bedrock and what are the two most important soil types?

A
  • Bedrock: volcanic
  • Nyirok, a volcanic soil (powerful wines)
  • Loess (lighter, delicate wines)
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10
Q

What are the advantages of volcanic bedrock?

A
  • Vines can root deeply limiting water stress
  • Lots of nutrients
  • Ideal for digging the cellars
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11
Q

What is the trellising system and planting density?

A
  • Replacement-cane pruning or cordon training with VSP
  • On avg. 4,000-5,000 vines/ha
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12
Q

How is harvest conducted?

A
  • By machine
  • By hand (in case of steeper slopes or Aszú)
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13
Q

What are the main diseases and hazards?

A
  • Powdery mildew
  • Grey rot
  • Wild boar and birds
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14
Q

What are the avg. yields for Aszú and dry wines?

A
  • Aszú: 2-3 hL/ha
  • Dry wines: 30-40 hL/ha
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15
Q

How many grape varieties are permitted in Tokaj PDO and what are the three most important?

A
  • 6
  • Furmint
  • Hárslevelű
  • Sárga Muskotály (Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains)
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16
Q

Furmint
What are the plantings? (%)

A

69%

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17
Q

Furmint
What are the grape’s characteristics? (ripening, acidity, sweetness, quality)

A
  • Late-ripening
  • High acidity (even when fully ripe)
  • Dry to sweet
  • High quality
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18
Q

Furmint
What are typical styles of dry wine from Furmint? (ageing, oak, body, alcohol)

A
  • Early drinking and more ageworthy examples
  • The latter often in oak
  • Full body and high alcohol (due to high sugar levels)
  • However, also medium alcohol possible (due to new viticultural practices)
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19
Q

Furmint
Typical flavors (young, aged, botrytis)

A
  • Lemon, apple and pear
  • Honey and nuts
  • Dried apricot and mango
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20
Q

Hárslevelű
What are the plantings? (%)

A

18%

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21
Q

Hárslevelű
What are the aromas?

A
  • Fruitier than Furmint
  • Distinctive white peach and orange blossom
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22
Q

Hárslevelű
What does it add to blends?

A

Distinctive perfume

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23
Q

Sárga Muskotály
What is the general term of this variety?

A

Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains

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24
Q

Sárga Muskotály
What are the plantings? (%)

A

9%

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25
**Sárga Muskotály** What does it add to blends?
Floral notes
26
What are the five different styles of wines from Tokaj?
* Aszú * Eszencia * Late Harvest * Szamorodni * Dry wines
27
**Aszú** What does Aszú stand for?
Hungarian for "grapes that have been infected with botrytis and have shrivelled on the vine"
28
**Aszú** What is special about the juice in the grapes?
* So concentrated that it cannot be effectively extracted by normal pressing * Hence, it is macerated in must, fermenting must or base wine to draw out sugars and flavours
29
**Aszú** What is the style of classic Aszú? (color, acidity, alc, aromas, price)
* Deep amber * High acidity * Low to medium alcohol * Intense aromas of orange peel, apricots, and honey * Best examples with super-premium prices
30
**Aszú** What is special about the harvest?
Grapes are picked individually in several passes
31
**Aszú** Describe the winemaking process
* Aszú grapes are mashed into a paste or uncrushed grapes are used * Paste or grapes are macerated 12-60 hours at 12-15°C (up to 16-20°C with strongly fermenting must) * Juice is drained and Aszú paste of berries are pressed * Must is then further fermented to gain desired balance of sugar and alcohol
32
**Aszú** What are the three potential maceration methods?
* Maceration in must - lightest styles * Maceration in young, finished wine - fuller style * Maceration in fermenting must - strongest extraction and most complex wines, but berries need to be ripe
33
**Aszú** What is regulated by law and where do producers have freedom?
* Law: If base wine is used, min alc of 12.08% abv * Free: Grape varieties (Furmint and Hárslevelű most common) and how botrytised the grapes are
34
**Aszú** Is ambient or cultured yeast used?
* Mostly cultured to ferment reliably * Some use ambient yeast
35
**Aszú** What vessels are used for fermentation?
* Stainless steel * Barrels
36
**Aszú** Why do many producers stop fermentation at a certain point?
* Avoid the risk of refermentation * Control house styles
37
**Aszú** Where and for how long is Aszú stored?
Min 18 months in oak
38
**Aszú** In what type of oak is the wine matured?
* Hungarian oak is widely used (fermentation and ageing) * Traditionally: small 136-litre barrels (known as gönci) * Today: Mostly larger barrels (300 to 500L) * A mixture of new and older oak
39
**Aszú** What are the requirements regarding bottling?
Must be bottled in a traditional, clear-glass, 500 mL Tokaji bottle
40
**Aszú** What scale was used until 2013 to classify the sweetness of the wine?
Puttonyos
41
**Aszú** How did the puttonyos scale work?
* Traditionally: Counted the number of pickers’ buckets or hods (puttony) of Aszú berries added to a traditional gönci barrel of must * More recently: Measured by min residual sugar levels from three to six puttonyos
42
**Aszú** What is todays regulation for labelling the wines according to their sweetness?
* Min 120g/L (the previous minimum for five puttonyos): can be labelled 'five puttonyos', but not mandatory (e.g., 'three puttonyos' also possible as label) * Min 150g/L: can be labelled 'six puttonyos' * Wines with lower levels: Late Harvest or Tokaji Édes Szamorodni (depending on how they are made)
43
**Eszencia** What is it?
* Made from syrupy free-run juice that trickles from Aszú berries * Extremely rare and extremely expensive
44
**Eszencia** What is special about the fermentation?
* Can take years to ferment * Reaches only very low levels of alcohol (usually less than 5% abv)
45
**Eszencia** What is the typical style of this wine? (sweetness, body, intensity, acidity, ageing)
* Min 450 g/L * Full body * Pronounced, highly concentrated flavours * High acidity * Very long ageing potential
46
**Late Harvest** What types of grapes are used?
Some proportion of botrytized grapes
47
**Late Harvest** What is the min residual sugar level? What is the usual level?
* Min 45 g/L * Usually 90-110 g/L
48
**Late Harvest** What is the advantage of these wines compared to Aszú?
Late Harvest is ready for release much earlier (after 12-16 months) than Aszú
49
**Szamorodni** What is it?
It is a traditional style made from whole bunches with varying amounts of healthy and botrytized grapes
50
**Szamorodni** What are the two types of this wine?
* Sweet (édes) * Dry (száraz)
51
**Szamorodni** What are the requirements regarding residual sugar of the sweet style?
* Min 45 g/L * Usually 90-110 g/L
52
**Szamorodni** What are the advantages compared to Aszú and Late Harvest?
* Requires only 6 months in oak (considerably shorter than for Aszú) * More authentic Tokaji wine than the more recent Late Harvest style * Bottled in the same traditional, clear, 500 mL Tokaji bottle as Aszú * Best édes wines can be of equivalent quality to Aszú, though in a fresher style
53
**Szamorodni** How is the dry style made?
* Aged under a thin film of flor yeast for up to 10 years without topping up * Develops nutty and green apple aromas
54
**Dry wines** Comment on the history and current trend for dry wines from Tokaj
* History: dry wines as by-product in case botrytis did not develop * Current trend: high-quality examples and production tripled in last 5 years
55
**Dry wines** What are producers doing in the vineyard to produce high-quality dry wines?
* Plant new vineyards on higher and windier sites above the fog zone * Use more open canopies and appropriate vine treatments to prevent rot
56
**Dry wines** What varieties are used and which dominates?
* Furmint (dominates) * Hárslevelű * Muscat
57
**Dry wines** What winemaking techniques are used to produce lighter-bodied wines that show varietal character?
* Less ripe berries * Stainless steel * Less interventionist approach
58
What appellation system does Tokaj follow?
* PDO/PGI system * PDO further broken down in village and estate wines
59
What is PGI in Tokaj used for?
* Wines made from other grapes (in particular international varieties) * Inexpensive wines produced at higher yields
60
How many hectars under vine are in the Tokaj PDO?
Roughly 5,700ha
61
What businesses are engaged in production?
* Mainly small growers (1-2 ha) that sell grapes to larger producers * State-owned Grand Tokaj sources from 2,000 growers and produces 35% of the region's wine
62
How much is exported and what are the main export markets?
* 40% * China, France, UK, USA
63
How much wine (in hL) is produced on avg. and what percent of that is Aszú and dry wines?
* 170,000 hL * 10% Aszú * 21% Dry wines
64
What type of wine is most production?
* Inexpensive, non-botrytised wine (often semi-sweet) * Home market and Eastern Europe

WSET Level 4 - D3 (56 decks)

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