Tokaj-Hegyalja

What is probably the most famous wine in Hungary is named after the town of Tokaj in the northeast of the country, close to the border with Slovakia and the Ukraine. The word „Tokaj“ is probably of Turkish-Hun origin, and translates as „woods on the river“. It was mentioned for the first time in a chronicle dating back to the 11th century, in which the crossing of the river Thisza by a Kumanian army close to the town of „Thocoyd“ is mentioned. King Béla IV. (1235–1270) was the first to establish viticulture in Hungary on a larger scale, and the first boom period in the Tokaj area took place in the 13th and 14th century. There is no definite record as to when the very first Tokaj Aszú in its present form was produced, but it is certainly one of the very first wines to be produced from botrytised grapes. It is claimed that a Tokaji Aszú was served to pope Pius IV. (1499-1565) at the Council of Trient in 1562, to which he is said to have exclaimed: „Summum pontificem talia vina decent!“ („that is the type of wine that should be on the papal table“ or „wine from Tállya belongs on the papal table – the word „talia“ can mean either „Tállya“ or „such“). As early as 1590 one sees the appearance of the term „Asszu szolo Bor“ (wine from Aszú berries) in the posthumously published work „Nomenclatura“ by Balázs Szikszai-Fabricius (died 1576). And in 1635 an inventory of the Rákóczi cellar reflects „7 barrels (Göncer) and 2 Ŕntalag (= small barrels) of Aszúszölö-Bor“ (= wine from Aszú grapes).

There are many legends about the “invention” of Tokaj wine, the best-known is a lovely story that however takes place somewhat later than the period described above. Among the properties owned by the Hungarian count György Rákóczi I. (1600-1660) was the wine-growing region of Tokaj-Hegyalja. When, once again, the Turks threatened to invade the area in 1650, the court cleric by the name of Máté Szepsi-Laczkó, who was responsible for such decisions, decided to wait with the grape harvest until the Turkish threat had been taken care of. The autumn was long and sunny, and the grapes started to shrink, and botrytis set in. The grape growers were ordered to pick and press the grapes from the Oremus vineyard, which is still in existence today, separately. The first “Tokaj Ausbruch” (that is how the wine was described during the Austro-Hungarian monarchy, sometimes also as Trockenbeerenauslese) was served at Easter in 1651 to the countess Zsuzsanna Lorántffy. Certainly Hungarians today still revere Szepsi-Laczkó as the „inventor of Aszú“.

Tokaj played an important role in all the European aristocratic houses from the 17th century onwards. Royal fans of the wine included the regents Franz-Joseph I., Maria Theresia, Frederick the Great, Victoria I. and Wilhelm II. Many famous authors, poets and composers loved Tokaj, and mentioned it in their works, including Ludwig van Beethoven, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe#Goethe Johann Wolfgang (Faust), Heinrich Heine (Buch der Lieder/Book of Songs), Friedrich von Schiller (Wallenstein), Franz Schubert, Bram Stoker (Dracula), Johann Strauß jr. (Fledermaus), Theodor Körner (in a song on wine), Nikolaus Lenau (Mischka on the Thisza) and Voltaire (Divine Proof). The court of the Russian Czar opened its own wine purchasing commission in the town of Tokaj in 1733. Empress Elisabeth (1709-1762) in a letter dated 8. November 1745 ordered a consignment of 375 barrels, and adds as a postscript: „And if there is any opportunity at all of doing this, please send me at least three Antals (small barrels of approx. 75 litres), as I cannot obtain these here anywhere, and you know how impossible it is for me to do without this wine”. Under her successor Catherine the Great (1729-1796) there was a special division of Cossacks whose duty it was to escort the deliveries of wine to her residence in St. Petersburg. The French “Sun King” Louis XIV. (1638-1715) is credited with allegedly giving the wine its title „Vinum Regnum – Rex Vinorum“ (wine of kings – king of wines). Tokaj was also frequently used as a diplomatic weapon. When the Turks were driven out of Budapest in 1686, count Ferenc Rákóczi II. (1676–1735) wanted to establish the newly liberated country of Hungary as an independent national kingdom. In order to interest Louis XIV. in establishing an alliance, he sent him a gift of the best Tokaj wines from his estates. Emperor Franz-Joseph I. (1830-1916), too, used the wine for diplomatic means, he sent a consignment of Tokaj Aszú to the English queen Victoria (1819-1901) for her birthday each year.

In the early 17th century, the Rákóczi family was the largest owner of property and vineyards in Hungary. Other important wine estates were owned by other aristocratic families, by cities and by the Cistercian order. The golden age of Tokaj wine production and trade was during the regency of the Rákóczi and Bercsényi families in the 17th and 18th century. It was at this time that most of the innumerable wine cellars (185 cellars were counted in Tokaj alone in 1967) were dug into the loess soils that were absolutely ideal fort his purpose, and indeed there was an own separate guild of cellar diggers at the time. There was a bit of a recession as of the late 18th century, partly due to wars, which either destroyed some vineyards or at least left them unattended for certain periods, partly due to economic measures enacted, particularly during the reign of Maria Theresia. A law was enacted to ensure that only an amount of Tokaj wines was allowed to be exported that did not exceed the amount of Austrian wines imported. This did not prevent Maria-Theresia from being a Tokaj fan, and from giving this away regularly as gifts. In 1745 she sent 600 bottles of the wine to the Russian empress Elisabeth (1709-1762). Pope Benedict XIV. (1675-1758), too, received a consignment, and after tasting the wine supposedly made a remarkable pronouncement (see under Quotes).

The fake wines that made a large-scale appearance in Hungary as well as in many other European countries in the 19th century also contributed to the declining reputation of Tokaj wine. Wine books even published detailed recipes, a work published in 1875 held the following information: Take 100 litres of normal wine; 15 l essence of raisins; 0,5 l essence of bitter almonds; 0,1 l essence of elderberry flowers; 4 kg sugar; 0,5 kg caramel; 4 kg glycerine und 6 l of 80% vol. grape spirits. Wine made by this method could be ordered from a wine merchant in the Döbling district in Vienna by the wagon-load at ridiculously low prices (see also under fake wines). The Tokaj culture experienced its lowest ebb during the years of Communist rule after World War II. Practically all the major wine estates were nationalised, and Tokaj was produced as a cheap mass-market wine during this period. Today, Tokaj is experiencing a Renaissance. The "Tokaj Renaissance" (around 20 major producers) association, founded in 1995, is dedicated to reviving the quality and image of the wine. Among the largest and most important wine estates (all of them members) are Árvay, Bodrog-Várhegy, Chateau Megyer, Chateau Pajzos, Gróf Degenfeld, Disznókö, Oremus and Szepsy.

The defined borders of the region have changed several times over the centuries. The oldest documented delimitation took place in 1641, at the time 12 communes were included in the Tokaj region proper. The Tokaj-Hegyalja (Hegyalja = located at the foot of the mountains, or under the mountains) region as it is defined by Hungarian wine law today encompasses a triangular area in the north-east of Hungary, bordering on Slovakia and the Ukraine. In terms of the wine law of 1997 the region includes the four towns of Sárospatak, Sátoraljaújhely, Szerencs and Tokaj as well as 24 other smaller communes. In Slovakia, in the three towns of Kistoronya, Szőlőske and in the Slovakian section of Sátoraljaújhely, a wine is made in the Tokaj style. After many years of arguing, the two countries agreed in early 2003 that wine produced within the area, which has 172 hectares of vineyards, may also bear the Tokaj designation of origin (Slovakia based its argument on the wine law of 1908, at which time this area was still part of Hungary. The Tokaj region was declared a UNESCO world heritage site in 2002. The town of Tokaj, which gives the region its name, has been an important centre for trade and traffic since the 9th century, and is located at the confluence of the Tisza and Bodrog rivers, close to the Kopaszhegy mountain, altitude 512 m. The region is about 60 kilometres long and around 30 kilometres wide, the vineyard area totals around 6.000 hectares.

It is bordered by the three rivers Hernád, Bodrog and Tisza. These influence the specific humid climate, which is similar to that of Sauternes in France, and which promotes the development of the fungus botrytis cinerea (Hungarian Nemes Penész) required fort he production of botrytised sweet wines. The climate is extreme, a cool, dry spring is followed by a hot summer, the autumn is initially wet, but then becomes dry and remains sunny for a long time. Only wines made from the officially permitted grape varieties Furmint, Hárslevelü, Kövérszölö (Fat Grape), Muskotály (Muskat-Ottonel), Oremus and Zéta may state „Tokaji“ on the label. Wines made from other grape varieties such as Chardonnay may only state the region of origin as „Zempléni“ (derived from the Zemplin mountains). Special wines are named according to the wine estate, the number of butts (puttonyos) and according to the vineyard site. If you want to emphasise the origin, you would, for example, speak of a Mádi Aszú (Aszú from Mád).

The first viticultural regulations still on record date back to the year 1641, when a set of rules consisting of 48 points was compiled in the commune of Mád. A comprehensive set of viticultural rules was published in 1700 under count Ferenc Rákóczi II. (1676-1735). At that time, the production of Aszú wines was probably more basic than it is today. A document dated 1758 states: "After must has been added to the crushed Aszú berries, the mixture must be well stirred, and the container covered, but not too tightly. After three or four days of fermentation, when the sweet juice of the berries has dissolved in the must, the mass is pressed by hand, and the wine left to ferment." A set of “extraordinary regulations for the Tokaj wine-growing region“ was published in 1904, including, among others, a geographic delimitation (33 communes), a stipulation that oak barrels were to be used, as well as a ban on the blending of Tokaj wines with wines from other regions. In addition, only wines whose grapes were sourced from vines planted on “hilly vineyard sites” were allowed to use the name Tokaj. The most recent Hungarian wine law dates from 1997, in this the Tokaj-Hegyalja region is defined as the only „closed“ or „contiguous“ wine region in Hungary. This means that special rules relating to vinification, treatment and distribution of wines as well as special protective regulations apply within this region.

The wines from the Tokaj-Hegyalja region are divided into three categories: Quality wines (Minöségi borok) including the varietal wines Tokaji Furmint, Tokaji Hárslevelü, Tokaji Muskotály (Muskat-Ottonel) and Tokaji Oremusz (a new variety). The maximum permitted yield is 100 hectolitres per hectare, the minimum must weight is 15 per cent by weight. The next category is Wines of special quality (Különleges minöségü borok) with the same varietal wines, but more stringent quality requirements. The maximum yield is 75 hectolitres per hectare, the minimum must weight is 19 °KMW/Brix resp. 95 °Oechsle. These wines are made from grapes that have fully ripened on the vine, or are even overripe. The highest category is Wine specialities (Borkülönlegességek) is available in the following versions: Tokaji Máslás, Tokaji Forditás, Tokaji Szamorodni, Tokaji Aszú, Tokaji Aszú-Eszencia and Tokaji Eszencia (Nektár). All the wines are blends of Furmint and Hárslevelü grapes, as well as of Muskotály (rare in Aszú).

Máslás: This is the most basic of all Tokaj wines, it has been known since the mid-16th century. The name is derived from the Polish word „Mászló“ (butter), as the wine has a buttery taste (large quantities of Tokaj wine were exported to Poland from the 16th century onwards). A Máslás is still of significantly better quality than the simple wine produced from pomace at this time. The pomace of Aszú or Szamorodni wines is taken, and must or young wine added to it in order to start alcoholic fermentation. It must mature for a minimum of two years, of which one year in wood. This is only rarely bottled and more usually sold in large containers.

Forditás (translates as change): This wine was mentioned fort he first time in the 19th century. To the pressed Aszú mash is added must or young wine of the same vintage. It must mature for a minimum of two years, of which one year in wood. This wine is sometimes also used to produce Aszú. Good quality wines will keep for up to 15 years.

Szamorodni: This name was first mentioned in 1828, and is Polish for „as it is grown“. This refers to the fact that there is no selection of Aszú berries, all the berries are processed together, with no selection. A minimum share of botrytised berries must be present by law, and this share also determines the quality. The wine remains on the mash for 24 to 36 hours before pressing. It must be matured for a minimum of two years, of which one year in oak barrels. There are sweet (édes) and dry (száraz) versions. Sweet Szamorodni must have a minimum residual sugar of 30 g/l, and 25 g/l of sugar-free extract as well as an alcohol content of 13% vol – the dry version requires only 25 g/l of extract and 13% vol. The dry version resembles a sherry, the sweet version an Austrian Ausbruch or a Trockenbeerenauslese. In the case of the sweet versions, the sugar very slowly ferments to alcohol, these can those become dry wines after a number of years. The wines will keep for up to two decades.

Aszú: General designation for the famous botrytised sweet Tokaj wine. The name is derived from the word aszalt (parched or dried), and refers to the botrytised wines that are used for production, resp. that are prescribed by law for this type of wine. In principle, the term means the same as Trockenbeerenauslese in Germany or Ausbruch in the Burgenland region in Austria. Tokaj Aszú is thus produced exclusively from overripe botrytised berries, individually picked and selected by hand. The berries are picked into wooden buckets, and more recently also into plastic buckets, The weight of the grapes presses out the syrupy Eszencia at the bottom (see below). When this has been drawn off, the grapes are mashed into a doughy sort of mush (in parts, this is still done in the traditional manner, using the feet), this ensures the grape seeds are not crushed. Then one measures the weight of three to six puttonyos (butts holding 24 to 28 kg) of this mash, and adds 136 litres (volume of a Göncer barrel) of young wine of the same vintage. Some estates calculate in hectolitres, and work on one butt equalling 20 kilogrammes of the Aszú mash. For an Aszú with six puttonyos the ratio of Aszú to new wine is approximately 1:1. Then the mixture is allowed to soak for a period of 18 to 48 hours, with occasional stirring. This dissolves the sugar in the grapes.

The grape seeds, which swim on top, are removed. Then the mixture is pressed, and the must filled into oak barrels for fermentation. The most popular barrel sizes today are the Szeredny barrel (200 to 220 litres) and more recently also barriques (225 litres) – the historical Göncer barrel (Gönci hordó) with a volume of 136 to 145 litres is hardly used anywhere anymore. Very little sulphur is added in order to avoid the formation of acetaldehydes. The cellars are cool and have a humidity of up to 98%, and fermentation is very slow. Traditionally fermentation is oxidative, i.e. barrels are not filled right to the top, to facilitate a certain amount of contact of the wine with oxygen. This gives the wine its traditional and unique character – a little like a Madeira or sherry. More recently there have also been experiments with reductive methods. The wines are then matured in the types of barrels already mentioned. The small amount of alcohol lost through evaporation through the barrel walls may be replaced with Tokaj brandy (around 0,5 to 1% alcohol each year) – however this is by no means a form of fortification. Historically Tokaj was matured for as many years as it contained butts, today the law prescribes a minimum maturation period of three years, of which two years must be in oak barrels. Only then is the wine bottled. The best Tokaj wines are extremely long-lived, ancient bottles have a thick layer of fungus growth on them, the corks are replaced every 25 years. 300-year-old Tokaj wines have been found that were in excellent condition and could actually still be enjoyed.

Aszú-Eszencia: This is the most recently developed quality classification, and was created only in the 20th century. Many doubt whether there is any point in having this category, as even the name leads to many cases of mistaken identity with true Eszencia. The idea apparently was to insert an additional category to fit in between 6-butt Aszú and the top level Eszencia. The Hungarian wine law of 1977 defines it as “an outstanding Aszú wine from a first-class site and from an excellent vintage“. This definition is rather vague, as Hungary does not yet have any classified vineyard sites, and the definition is no longer included in the current version of the wine law, which dates from 1997. The minimum requirements are the same as for Aszú. The botrytised berries must have a minimum sugar content of 180 g/l. The crushed berries must be mixed with must or new wine of the same vintage, and brought to fermentation. The wine must be matured at the winery for a minimum of five years before being sold (of which three years in oak barrels). The number of puttonyos is not stated on the label.

Eszencia: This is a speciality sometimes also designated as Nectar, and was first documented in 1707. In German literature of the 19th century it is called „Tokayer Ausbruch Essenz“. In days of yore, Eszencia was not considered to be a wine at all, but a medicine. In most cases, the Eszencia was “added back” to the Aszú (where this was not done, one spoke of a „castrated Aszú“). This is also practised by most producers today. For a time in the 17th century, bottling and sale of this product was legally prohibited. The berries are all botrytised, and are picked individually by hand into wooden buckets. The weight of the grapes causes the syrupy Escenzia to collect at the bottom. The extremely high sugar content of 60 to 80% means that fermentation can take 10, 15 or even 20 years. The wine has a dark colour and the consistency of honey, the alcohol content is low, with a minimum of 5 per cent and a maximum of 8 per cent being prescribed. This precious rarity is often only available on the wine estates, and then only by the glass.

Hungary tried for a very long time to have the Tokaj name legally protected. However, vine varieties are planted and wines produced all over the world using the name of Tokaj, or very similar names, which can cause some confusion. In the Italian region of Friuli-Giulia-Venezia, there is the white grape variety Tocai Friulano, and in Alsace in France Tokay d´Alsace is a synonym for Pinot Gris. In other parts of France and in Australia Tokay is a synonym for the Muscadelle grape. According to a ruling of the EU in 2007, all these designations must be changed, and Tokaj may in future only be used for the original produced in Hungary. A special case can be found in a small region of Slovakia that borders directly on the Tokaj-Hegyalja region. There are three villages here, that historically were part of Hungary - Kistoronya, Szőlőske and the Slovakian part of Sátoraljaújhely – these produce a Tokaj-style wine. After many years of haggling, the two countries agreed early in 2003 that the wines produced by these three communes may bear the Tokaj designation of origin.

The Szamorodni and Aszú wines are traditionally bottled in long-necked bottles of white glass with a punt at the bottom, and holding a volume of 0.5 litres, however there are also numerous other bottle shapes and volumes, as the Hungarian wine laws provide plenty of leeway in this regard (perhaps too much). In the past, one to five butt Tokaj Aszu was also produced, later this was reduced to a range of two to five butts. Six-butt Aszú was created around 1790, and to make up for this the two-butt variety was eliminated, as good Szamorodnis were very close to these in quality. Two-butt wines were produced until the second half of the twentieth century. The wine law of 1997 makes provision only for three to six-butt qualities. The number of puttonyos, or butts, is stated on the label only in the case of Aszú wines. The quality levels, together with the legally prescribed minimum sugar content (1) and of sugar-free extract (2) in grammes per litre are:

* 2 Puttonyos Aszú: no longer produced
* 3 Puttonyos Aszú: 60 - 30
* 4 Puttonyos Aszú: 90 - 35
* 5 Puttonyos Aszú: 120 - 40
* 6 Puttonyos Aszú: 150 - 45
* Aszú-Eszencia: 180 - 50
* Eszencia: 450 (in the past: 250) - 50

The labels of one Tokay producer bear the following motto: Aki e üvegböliszik annak kivantatik, hogy a Borok Kiralyanak aranyfenye emlekeztesse a hegyaljai tajra, ahol immar ezredik eve ragyog a szölöt ökere a Nap! Kivantatik, hogy a Kiralyok Boranak, legendas gyogyhatasa kedves egeszsegere valjek). That translates roughly as: „Whoever drinks from this bottle, may the golden gleam of the king of wines remind him of the countryside of Hegyalja, where the sun has been shining on the vines for a thousand years. May the legendary medicinal effect of the wine of kings also benefit his health“.

Main source: Das Tokajer-Buch - Michael Sailer (Michael Sailer-Verlag Munich)