Royal Tokaji Blue Label 5 Puttonyos Aszú 2017 500ml

The fall of communism in Hungary saw many new beginnings, and one of note for wine lovers was the formation of The Royal Tokaji Company by wine-writer Hugh Johnson, and a consortium of foreign investors with the sole vision of revitalising the magnificent sweet wines of Hungary. The Royal Tokaji Company today is a benchmark for the noble wines of the region, from their 3 Puttonyos wines at around 60-90 grams per litre of residual sugar through to the intense Essencia at 450-850 grams, they are wines that offer the drinker a unique insight to one of the great wine styles of the world.

Nothing about wine moves me more than its ability to survive and express place and time, even through ordeals that seems ready to destroy it. Wine is a stage in a natural and inevitable process. We set it in motion when we plant a vine. The less we do to intervene with the behaviour of roots and leaves, soil, sun and rain, the better. - Hugh Johnson OBE, Founder of Royal Tokaji

Fine quality Aszú berries with good flavour, balance and perfect botrytis were macerated in fermenting must for two days. After pressing and finishing fermentation, the wines were filled into 300 and 500 litre Hungarian oak casks in our extensive, deep, underground cellars to mature for over two years. The final blends were carefully crafted in the spring of 2020. Bottled at 158.1 grams of residual sugar per litre.

Intense nose with lots of fruitiness and spice. Great structure and vibrant freshness with flavours of white peach and ripe plums, a perfect balance of richness, crisp acidity and a long finish. Summer was hot, so we began the Aszú berry harvest in early September and continued to pick steadily in the ideal autumn weather. In particular, October provided three textbook weeks for fine quality Aszú, with day after day of early morning mists, afternoon sunshine and drying winds. The Aszú wines show great structure, plenty of botrytis, depth and freshness with excellent complexity, all attributes of long ageing potential. 

Fantastic nose of ginseng, dried apricots, yellow plums, brown sugar, honey, lemons and tangerine peel. Honeyed and smooth with layers of dried fruit and subtle earthy elements. Excellent balance and freshness. Tangy. 65% furmint, 30% harslevelu, plus small amounts of other varieties. So delicious now. Drink or hold. - James Suckling, 95 Points

The Finer Details
Style - Sweet Wine
Varietal - Furmint, Hárslevelű, Muscat de Lunel
Country - Hungary
Region - Tokaji
Vintage - 2017
Bottle Size - 500ml
ABV - 11%