1996 Tokaji Aszu 5 Puttonyos

The 1996 Tokaji Azsu 5-Puttonyos is unusual in that it was a pure Harslevelu with no Furmint. The nose seems a little one-dimensional, to be honest – nothing to do with the winemaking, but rather the grape variety. The palate is actually better than the nose, with attractive notes of caramel, toffee apple and dried honey, but it just fades away toward the finish. This is fully mature – pleasant, but more for curiosity than anything else. Drink now. Hetszolo is one of the oldest estates in Tokaji, having been founded in 1502. The name means “seven vineyards,” since it originated so and they were one of the main sources for the famous ancient Tokajis of the Royal Imperial Estate. This was mainly because of its propensity to produce a high quantity of high quality botrytized fruit, i.e. aszu. One need only glance at the vineyard to see why. The 55 hectares of vine are located in a single block on one steep south-facing incline facing the Great Plain. The soil is different from the volcanic earth around Mad. Here it is mainly loess, approximately 15 centimeters deep at the bottom and becoming shallower toward the top at around 310 meters altitude. The vineyard is populated by around 80% Furmint, with Harslevelu planted at the bottom of the hill, since it needs more water. Unfortunately, all the vines were grubbed up after World War II, and so in 1991 they inaugurated a ten-year re-planting program. In 2008, the estate was acquired by the Reybier family, proprietors of Chateau Cos d’Estournel. “We produce more perfumed, elegant wines,” their winemaker informed me. “They tend to be lighter style, sometimes with a little less acidity.” The focus here is squarely upon Aszu 5-Puttonyos wines. What is slightly different here is that the aszu berries are added before the fermentation has started, followed by a maceration of around 12 hours to one day. “We think this is the most gentle way to do the maceration and preserve the primary aromas. It enhances the elegance of the loess soils. We have to be careful with oxidation due to the longer maceration time.” Importer: Domaine Select Wine Estates 105 Madison Avenue, 13th Floor, New York, NY; tel. (212) 279-0799; fax (212) 279-0499; and through Eminent Wines (UK) www.eminentwines.com