Expert’s Choice: Sweet Tokaji

I once attended a festival in Mád in the heart of Tokaj in northern Hungary. It was dark, the streets empty, the houses shuttered. But if you happened upon the right address, you were suddenly thrust into a disco-themed cheese tasting or a lively pop concert in one of the village’s wineries. It was, dare I say it, wonderfully mad.

Tokaj: we all know the region’s name, its history and the superlative quality of its wines, but how many of us have recently explored its lesser-known paths and hidden corners?

Yes, there’s a limited market for sweet wines, and Tokaji wines aren’t cheap (quite rightly, due to the heavy manual labour involved). And there has been a strong marketing focus on dry wines since they made their debut in the early 2000s.

But the selection that follows reminds us that Tokaj is still one of the greatest regions for sweet wines that can both elevate and surprise.

Scroll down for notes and scores of 18 superb sweet Tokaji wines

Sublime stars

The stars of the show are the sublime Aszú wines, which feature strongly in my selection. Produced using shrivelled, botrytis-affected berries, with sweetness levels indicated via the quantity of botrytised berries added (historically measured in ‘puttonyos’ – wooden baskets), these sweet wines of Tokaj are so heavily dependent on harvest conditions that it’s worth examining a few of the vintages.

Six wines here come from the 2017 vintage and four from 2021. Both were outstanding Aszú years, offering great structure and elegance, as well as hallmark luscious tropical fruit. 2016 was another very good year, producing classical wines with fabulous intensity, and 2013 was also outstanding; I’ve included a beautifully aged wine from this vintage.

Given the impressive longevity of these wines, it’s worth seeking them out for cellaring.

When it comes to the sweet édes Szamorodni (which means ‘as it comes’; the dry version is called száraz) wines, producers seem to have reached new heights. A blend of both botrytised and healthy grapes, Szamorodni is a somewhat more immediate and (slightly!) less concentrated wine.

Change for good

In 2014, the authorities discarded the three and four puttonyos categories of Aszú; perhaps better-quality édes Szamorodni wines have filled that gap. Generally at a lower price point, they’re a fantastic introduction into the region but still have the capacity to age gracefully.

Within the selection, there are also a couple of delightful late-harvest wines with lighter-bodied, refreshing profiles. These wines show great versatility, equally adept at partnering cheese, dessert or an aromatic Thai curry.

There isn’t any Eszencia (syrupy nectars made using only aszú berries) in this list – there are hefty costs involved in sampling these rarities! But some of the producers featured here also make the best examples of this unique wine.

Winemakers in the region are keenly focused on expressing the personality of Tokaj’s volcanic terroir, whether in the form of a late-harvest or Aszú wine. Newer and established producers alike appear to be setting an unparalleled quality level: we might be heading into a new golden age of sweet Tokaji wines.

See notes and scores for 18 sumptuous sweet Tokaji wines

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