Wine buyers' diaries - Grand Tokaj
An exciting new addition to our range, Grand Tokaj is one of the oldest producers in Hungary’s Tokaj region – producing a range of wines, from dry Furmints, through to sweet Aszu and Eszencia. Rebecca Long reports on a recent visit to the region…
There is nothing quite like visiting a wine region and tasting the wines in situ. From the wine-geek side of me, this is possibly one of best wine trips I have been on in almost 20 years in the industry. Anyone who has even the smallest interest in wine, certainly anyone who has sat a WSET exam, has heard of Tokaj wines – but few ever visit the far-flung northeast corner of Hungary.
Grand Tokaj are one of the oldest and the largest producers in the region. Owned by the Tokaj-Hegyalja University Foundation, they have long term contracts with local growers covering more than 600ha of vineyards, as well as owning 67ha especially selected for the premium single vineyard expressions of the region’s signature grape variety, Furmint.
After a night in Budapest – a great city to visit for wine-lovers, or otherwise – we started on the 2.5hour journey to the Tokaj region, which is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2012 and overlaps the Serbian border. What was perhaps one of the more surprising aspects on arrival to the area was that it’s relatively flat, with rolling hills at best. The rivers and tributaries that are so crucial to encouraging the conditions required for noble rot to take hold in the vineyard, are ever present and gently frame the landscape.
We were lucky to visit in mid-October, as it was perfect timing for harvesting the sweet wines that Tokaj is famous for. A stand-out moment that will forever be my dinner party story of choice, was seeing the production of Eszencia in full swing – huge crates of Aszu berries sitting quietly with the sheer weight of themselves gently squeezing droplets of nectar out, and tasting this liquid gold straight from the tanks…
Not only does Grand Tokaj boast the largest production in the area, but also one of the largest – and most sustainable – storage facilities: 5.5km of interconnecting former rock mines, over two levels, are found in the heart of the Hatalos Hill. Primarily used for ageing Tokaji Aszu and Szamorodni wines, the natural environment negates the need for air-conditioning.
The upper level houses a fantastic wine library with wines dating back to the 1920s, and a tasting zone, where we tried not only the whole range of wines produced at Grand Tokaj, but a sneaky tipple of Tokaji Aszu 5 Puttonyos from 1956!
While I could clearly bang on about the sweet wines for days, the dry whites are not to be overlooked! Increasingly recognised on the global wine stage, dry Furmints are regularly spotted on all the best wine lists and shelves; and rightly so, offering bright fruit and searing acidity. Approachable, yet intriguing, the single vineyard expressions offer a slightly more ‘steely’ character and are demonstrative of how the area is developing beyond its traditions and history to be a wine region fit for the modern age.