Royal Tokaji

At A Glance

Region: Tokaj, Hungary
Founded: 1990
Vineyards: Mád and Tarcal communes
Named sites: Mézes Mály, Nyulászó, Szt. Tamás, Betsek
Dry-wine fermentation: Hungarian oak and stainless steel

The Producer

In 1990, author Hugh Johnson and a small investor group founded Royal Tokaji after the fall of Communism, with the aim of restoring and preserving Hungary’s wine legacy. The winery opened in Mád in 2010, designed by Hungarian architect Csaba Bodonyi.

Healthy grapes for dry wines are hand-harvested. About half of the clean must ferments in Hungarian oak barrels and half in stainless-steel tanks. Aszú berries are picked individually by hand, and the Aszú wines age in the cellar for at least two years.

Place

Most of the estate’s vineyards lie in the Mád commune: Szt. Tamás, Nyulászó and Betsek are classified as First Growth vineyards, alongside Second Growth Birsalmás. Mézes Mály, classified as a Great First Growth, lies in the Tarcal commune.

The soils are mainly clay or loess over volcanic substrata. Vines are approximately 20 years old, and yields are kept to 10 hectolitres per hectare, or about one glass of wine per vine.

Wines

The range runs from Dry Furmint through Late Harvest and single-vineyard Aszú to Essencia. Dry Furmint is varietal Furmint from estate and purchased vineyards, with floral, apple and pear aromas, ripe apricot and peach flavours, and a long, refreshing finish.

The 2023 Late Harvest blends Furmint, Hárslevelű and Sárgamuskotály. Partial bunch selection includes ripe, overripe and botrytised berries, and most of the wine ages in barrel for five to six months. White peach and honey lead into a silky texture, balanced acidity and a long, crisp finish.

Szt. Tamás Aszú 6 Puttonyos 2018 is a single-vineyard Aszú made only in exceptional years. Its berries were macerated in fermenting must for two days, then pressed and finished in barrel before more than two years in Hungarian oak casks underground. Vanilla, apricot and marmalade aromas lead to pear and peach flavours, balancing acidity and a very long finish.

Essencia 2009 came from the free-run juice of first-generation Aszú berries and underwent a tiny, slow spontaneous alcoholic fermentation. At 2% alcohol, it has 581.3 g/l sugar and 11.8 g/l acidity. Deep gold with amber hints, it has a very thick, creamy texture with figs, dates, green tea, candied orange peel and dried red berries.

Final Word

Royal Tokaji's 2009 Essencia came from free-run juice of first-generation Aszú berries and is reported at 581.3 g/l sugar.

At A Glance

The Producer

Place

Wines

Final Word

Sources

Where to go next