The famous sweet wine of Tokaj is so venerated, it is mentioned in the Hungarian National Anthem. Tokaj has been hailed as the liquid gold of Hungary, quoted in the national anthem, its praises sung by kings, queens, popes, poets, musicians and philosophers.  The wine region is a UNESCO World Heritage site since 2002. 

A unique style of wine from a unique region comes from its location and winemaking history.  Tokaj is in the north-east corner of Hungary, protected by the Carpathaian mountains, and influenced by the wetlands formed by the local rivers makes it exceptionally suitable for Botrytis.

With Aszú only very botrytis influenced grapes are picked in the vineyard, leaving behind partial bunches of 'healthy' grapes (in the hopes that they will develop more botrytis later!). These are then soaked in must, fermenting must, or fully fermented wine. After resting together, the combined must is then pressed and fermented, and aged a minimum of 18 months in barrel.

The level of quality of an Aszú wine measured in 'Puttonyos' - this was historically a winemaking measure of how many 25kg baskets (hods) of botrytis berries were added into the barrel for winemaking.  Note this was a 'gönc' barrel of 136L (about 60% the size of a classic French barrique).  Aszú started at 3 Puttonyos, and wet up to 6 Puttonyos, the higher numbers being more intense wines, sweeter, and more prestigious.

Now the Puttonyos measure is still used, but as a measure of minimum sweetness level of the finished wine. At 6 Puttonyos the wine must reach 150g/L of residual sugar (by comparison Port wine is 100-110g/L).  There is still a higher grade of Tokaj - Eszencia is hugely sweet and at 450g/L barely qualifies as wine! 

The Heritage Tokaji Aszú 6 Puttonyos is a beautiful example. It is a blend of Furmint and Harslevelu grapes, made in the traditional way in tiny volumes - only 120 bottles made. Well exceeding minimum standards, and aged for over 2 years in barrel. The bottles are still sealed in wax as they were for centuries.  Bursting with old honey, mandarin, burnt orange, cardamom. Concentrated, complex, and very sweet at 205 g/L, but with an acidity backbone that holds it together superbly well, a very rich long finish.  

An exceptional wine to be savoured.