2010 Tokaji Aszu 5 Puttonyos

The 2010 Tokaji Aszu 5-Puttonyos had been bottled just a fortnight before I tasted it. Considering the growing season, this has an impressive bouquet with what seems like plenty of Aszu character. The palate is well-balanced with a zesty opening, plenty of Clementine, peach and apricot notes. The acidity is very racy (12.5 grams per liter), that neatly balanced the 152 grams per liter residual sugar. Vibrant and very focused, this could be one of the best Aszu wines in what was a difficult vintage. It will be not be commercialized for several years, but watch out for this when eventually released. 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