07 August 2024 / Geri Ádám
What makes the wines of the Tokaj wine region unique is that a disease known elsewhere as grey rot, caused by a fungus called Botrytis cinerea, can develop into noble rot in the special Tokaj climate. This requires the fungus to attack perfectly ripe, healthy grapes and humid early mornings to be followed by dry, warm autumn afternoons. The result is aszú berries that are shrivelled and brown like raisins on the outside, yet inside are very concentrated and with distinctive flavours thanks to the water loss caused by the mould. This treasure is used in many ways by winemakers, hence the variety of wine styles made from aszú berries.
Szamorodni
The meaning of Szamorodni is “as it comes”. The reason why this word of Polish origin has become part of the Hungarian language is that it was a very popular wine in Poland for centuries. Its name refers to the fact that during its winemaking process, the clusters containing a mixture of both botrytised and healthy berries, i.e. not aszú berries, are processed and pressed together. According to the current product specification, Szamorodni must be matured in wooden barrels for at least 6 months and may not be released before the beginning of the second year following harvest.
Szamorodni is usually sweet (which assumes a residual sugar content of more than 45 g/l), but some wineries also produce a dry version (which means less than 9 g/l residual sugar). The reason why dry Szamorodni is rarely found is that it requires all the stars to be aligned to be born. The winegrower has to trust in the weather, i.e. the sudden arrival of cold weather after the onset of botrytis. The grapes’ sugar content must not increase any further, but they must be harvested, because cool, wet weather can turn this noble rot into the previously mentioned grey rot. In this case, there will only be enough sugar in the grapes to ferment them into a dry wine with average alcohol content. The other scenario is when clusters with a high sugar content arrive in the winery, but all the sugar is fermented due to a combination of circumstances, resulting in a dry Szamorodni with high alcohol.
The wine ferments under a film of yeast (flor), making dry Szamarodni a very special wine style. It is also a (whimsical) gift of nature. In essence, this layer of yeast is formed on the top of the wine by the yeast carrying out the alcoholic fermentation. This flor largely blocks any oxygen reaching the wine - in effect, creating an unusual reductive environment in the barrel - resulting in unique aromatics. Anyone who comes across one of these should try it, because it really is a curiosity!
Aszú
The very first step in making Aszú is to pick the aszú berries from the clusters. This often happens while the clusters are still on the vine. The now “incomplete” clusters with only healthy grapes remain on the vine in the hope that they will also botrytise later. The aszú berries are picked individually and soaked in must, in fermenting must or in fully fermented new wine from another harvest in the same year. When the winemaker decides that all the precious aromatic compounds have been soaked out of the aszú berries, the must is gently pressed from this berry and must mixture. What is left is the so-called ’aszú dough’, which will be used to produce Fordítás, discussed later. The must can be fermented in stainless steel tank or wooden cask, again at the winemaker's discretion. However, it is compulsory to age the Aszú wine in wooden casks for at least 18 months after fermentation. This wine type can be released at the earliest on 1 January of the third year following the harvest (i.e. one year after Szamorodni).
According to the Tokaj product specification in force since 2013, 120 g/l is the minimum residual sugar content at which a wine may be called Aszú. This is the equivalent of 5 puttony in the old terms. (In the past, a puttony was used to measure how many aszú berries were added to a unit of wine.) The number of puttony no longer has to be indicated on the bottle, but it may be used to “boast”, especially in the case of 6 puttony (upwards of 150 g/l).
Fordítás
This is also a less common wine style nowadays, but it was very popular in the 19th century. It was created because winemakers (especially in the past) were trying to extract as many of the berry's valuable aroma and flavour compounds as possible. To this end, the aszú dough left over after pressing was often soaked in wine again to be able to press the pulp again. Fordítás contains less sugar and more tannins than Aszú (its ratio of skins to juice is different, but more vigorous pressing is required). If you want to make comparisons, it is closer to Szamorodni in flavour and aroma.
Máslás
As the wine ferments, the dead yeasts and "grape residue" ending up in the must due to pressing accumulate in the bottom of the tank or barrel. This is called gross lees and then fine lees once the wine is first clarified. The aszú lees are precious as they contain pieces and aromas from the aszú berries. Must, fermenting must or new wine is poured over the lees to make Máslás. You rarely come across this wine style nowadays.
Eszencia
The most unique Tokaj wine speciality: liquid gold from aszú must. It is made from the must which drips out of the aszú berries under the pressure of their own weight, without any pressing. Its sugar content is comparable to that of honey (hundreds of grams per litre). Thus, yeasts cannot really survive in it and only ferment to a few percent of alcohol. Some add this to their Aszú, others age it in a separate glass carboy to bottle it or offer a small spoonful to a select few.
