Sweet Hungary over £10

DWWA Reguional Trophy

(Image credit: DWWA Reguional Trophy)

This sweet Hungary over £10 trophy is no surprise...

Dobogó Tokaji Aszú 6 Puttonyos 2006

It’s owned by the glamorous Izabella Zwack, of the Zwack Unicum family, and winemaker Attila Domokos. Izabella says “Dobogó’s philosophy from the beginning has been to make small quantities of Tokaji Aszú that is on the one hand side faithful to the centuries of tradition in the wine region but also to be a fresh, vibrant, young, joyous interpretation of Tokaj; maybe reflecting the personalities of the two young owners.”

The wine nearly didn’t make it to Decanter this year as after winning two successive trophies, Izabella thought it was statistically impossible to win three times! The name Dobogó means the clip-clop of horses’ hooves – something that reminds Izabella of the way her heart races near harvest time.

Luckily, 2006 was a near perfect season; an Indian summer followed a hot humid summer and the harvest from Dobogó’s five hectares lasted until mid November. The classic 6 Puttonyos Aszú is only made in excellent years, and in 2006 it was a typical blend of 70% Furmint, 20% Harslevelű and 10% Muskotály, fermented for three years in local Hungarian oak.

It’s wonderfully expressive; almost an explosion of pineapple and white peach on the nose, then rich and rounded on the palate, completed with Furmint’s hallmark beautifully vibrant, mineral acidity to balance the intense sweetness. A truly superb example of why Tokaj is one of the world’s great sweet wines.

UK Liberty wines RRP £54.99 USA Winenow $80

Written by Caroline Gilby MW

Caroline Gilby MW is a freelance writer and consultant, specialising in Central and Eastern Europe. Among others, she currently contributes to Hugh Johnson’s Pocket Wine Book, The Oxford Companion to Wine, and the World Atlas of Wine, and has previously written for Dorling Kindersley’s Wines of the World, The Wine Opus, and Tom Stevenson’s Wine Report. Prior to her career as a writer, Gilby spent seven years as a senior wine buyer at Augustus Barnet off-licences, where she became the first major buyer to import Hungarian wines to the UK. She initially studied plant biology, in which she holds a doctorate, but abandoned life behind the microscope for a career in wine soon after winning the Decanter-Macallan Malt Whisky Taster of the Year Award while still a student. Gilby passed her MW in 1992 and has been visiting and tasting the wines of Hungary, Czech Republic, Slovenia and Romania for over 20 years.