NOBLE ROT
SPECIES COMPLEX
Tokaj-Hegyalja’s most famous product is Aszú, which is no surprise, as it is made using a unique technology. The Botrytis cinerea mitospore fungal species complex can be found in other wine regions as well, and, similar to Hegyalja, induces shriveling and favorable “rot.” The process known in Hungary as “noble rot” or aszúsodás triggers a chemical and physical transformation in the berries. As time progresses, the fruit visibly loses a significant portion of its water content, reflected by a wrinkled, raisin-like exterior. The appearance of the mold is encouraged by numerous environmental factors. Among these is the vast water surface formed by the Bodrog, the Tisza, and the Hernád rivers, along with smaller streams and rivulets. These not only create a humid atmosphere but also function as a natural mirror—reflecting sunlight that the grapevines are able to utilize excellently. The gentle hills, the oak forests of Zemplén, and the ecological balancing areas all contribute to the establishment and proliferation of the fungus, which is regarded positively in this wine region.
BOTRYTIZED CHARACTER
UNIQUE
The mold’s enzymes break through the intact berry and then penetrate its flesh with their filaments, beginning a transformative process. Due to water loss, the sugar in the berries becomes concentrated, meaning its amount does not change. A distinctive characteristic of Tokaji wine specialties is their glycerol content. This trihydroxy alcohol is essentially a byproduct formed during alcoholic fermentation and is typically found in exceptionally high levels in botrytized wines. Regarding acidity, it is mainly gluconic acid and glucuronic acid—derived from glucose—that result from the fungus’s activity, as they develop during the fermentation process. When tasting a botrytized wine, the so-called “botrytized character” often comes to the fore. This is evident both in its aroma and flavor, created by terpene alcohols and lactones, intertwined with honeyed, fungal, and earthy notes.
“If I grow old, I want a cellar—this I have firmly resolved.”
– SÁNDOR MÁRAI –
WINE SPECIALTIES
&
HARVEST
HOW DO WE HARVEST?!
A technológia a szüretet tekintve két csoportra osztható:
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A botritiszes bogyókat az ép fürtöktől külön szedjük az ültetvényekben.
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A botritiszes bogyókat az ép fürtökkel együtt szedjük az ültetvényben.
A Natúr eszencia, az Aszúeszencia és az Aszú készítése az első kategóriába tartozik. Ezeket a szemeket aprólékosan, kisebb vödrökbe vagy tárolókba szedjük kézi munkaerővel, majd külön dolgozzuk fel őket.
NATURAL ESSENCE
A DROP OF EDEN
The product named Eszencia or Esencia is a wine with a very high sugar content. Its technology relies on the force of gravity. The harvested berries are poured into a vat or large storage container, then allowed to undergo a “self-pressing” process due to their own weight. The liquid extracted this way undergoes a very slow fermentation, which often does not occur at all because of the exceptionally high sugar content. In the end, Eszencia contains a relatively low alcohol content but boasts a much more beautiful appearance. Its botrytized character is easily recognizable, paired with a slowly flowing, honeyed texture.
ASZÚ
GOLDEN RIVER
To prepare this wine specialty, first, a so-called aszú dough must be made, followed by a soaking process. For this, must from the same vintage is used; partially fermented grape must; young wine still in fermentation; or wine. After mixing and separating the free-run juice, the base material undergoes gentle pressing, and then fermentation begins.
The uniqueness of Tokaji Aszú is not only given by its terroir and technology but also significantly influenced by the length of its aging. This takes place for a minimum of 18 months in oak barrels made from Zemplén oak.
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ASZÚESZENCIA
THE SWEET REWARD
Az Aszúeszencia nevét onnan kapta, hogy az aszú olyan különleges változata, amely az évjáratnak köszönhetően kiemelkedően magas cukortartalommal rendelkezik. Pontosabban minimális maradék cukortartalma 180 g/L.
PUTTONY NUMBERS
A Tokaji harvest basket (puttony) can hold and store 25 kg of aszú berries. The Gönci barrel used in the wine region has a capacity of 136 liters. The number of puttony, as a quality indicator, determines how many baskets of noble-rotted berries are added to one barrel of must.
SZAMORODNI
NO ROOM FOR SORROW HERE.
The collected infected and healthy berries are processed together. To better extract the components, soaking often precedes pressing. After fermentation, aging begins in oak barrels. The classic Dry Szamorodni is aged under a film, a process simply called “keeping on the lees.” The layer that forms on the surface of the wine is created by exceptional strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeasts. The uniqueness of products aged this way lies in the so-called acetaldehyde-type “Flor character.”
Sweet Szamorodni, like other sweet wine specialties, is aged similarly, with occasional rackings to interrupt the process.
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FORDÍTÁS
NOW A RARITY
The remaining pomace can be utilized in various ways. Some distill it into pálinka, while others create wine specialties from it, hoping that the already pressed pomace still contains extractable components. Similar to Aszú, its soaking must be done in must or wine from the same vintage, followed by pressing and finally fermentation. The resulting product’s sugar content is significantly lower than that of Aszú, which primarily used the botrytized berries.
MÁSLÁS
LET’S RECYCLE
Máslás was once a widely popular Tokaji wine specialty, and it too is a product of recycling. Its technology closely resembles that of Fordítás. During its production, the lees of Aszú or Szamorodni undergo soaking, pressing, and then fermentation.
LATE HARVEST WINE
LET’S WAIT A LITTLE LONGER!
The grape harvest takes place after the usual harvest period, either by collecting the remaining botrytized berries together with healthy clusters or, depending on the vintage, separately. The grapes harvested this way then go through traditional processes all the way to barrel aging.
CONCTACT
EMERENCIASELECTION@GMAIL.COM / TEL: +36 30 4565764
FOR ENGLISH
NETAXA2@GMAIL.COM / TEL: +36 30 7292846
25 SZENT ISTVÁN STREET, 3933 OLASZLISZKA, HUNGARY
