2010 Tokaji Aszú, 5 Puttonyos, Oremus, Hungary
Critics reviews
Jeff Jenssen, winemag.com (Dec 2019)
About this WINE
Oremus
The Oremus wine estate has a long and colourful history and Tokaji was being produced there as early as 1620 by a Calvinist priest called Mate Szepsy Lacko. In 1993 the 33 hectare estate was bought by a Spanish consortium headed by David Álvarez, owner of Vega Sicilia.
The vineyards are centred around 3 hills, Mandulas, Kupatka and Losce, where Furmint and Harslevu are planted. A new winery has been built in Tolcsva. The aim at Oremus is to produce Tokaji wines of elegance and balance with perfect harmony between the sweet fruit and natural acidity.
Tokaj
The Tokaj wine region lies 240 kms north-east of Budapest in Hungary, at the confluence of the Tisza and Bodrog rivers. Tokaj enjoys long sunny summers, while dry autumns and the early morning mists, created by the meeting of the two rivers, encourage the development of noble rot on grapes. The Botrytis Cinerea makes the berries dry and shrivel, thus concentrating the compounds and developing the Aszú grapes.
Furmint is the dominant grape in Tokaji, and Aszú in the name refers simply to the dried, nobly-rotted grapes, which are hand-picked from the vines. The number of puttonyos is an indication of sweetness, with 2 the driest and 6 the sweetest. A 3-Puttonyos Tokaji indicates at least 60g of residual sugar, 4 indicates at least 90g, 5 at least 120g and 6 at least 150g. From 2015 the new minimum is set to 130g of residual sugar per litre,and the 3 and 4 ‘Puttonyos’ categories are eliminated.
A wine of 7 puttonyos is known as Aszú Essencia and is only produced in the very best years. Aszú Essencia is incredibly sweet and is one of the greatest dessert wines in the world.
By the end of the 17th century, Tokaji aszu wines were so well regarded throughout the Royal Courts of Europe, that Prince Rakoczi was urged to classify all the finest vineyards around the 28 villages in the region. Thus, the Tokaj wine region has the distinction of being Europe’s first classified wine region.
Furmint
A white grape variety grown in Hungary and Slovakia and the main ingredient of Tokaji Aszú. It is an early budding late ripening variety and and is particularly susceptible to botrytis.
Its wines are characterised by their high alcohol levels (sometimes as much as 14%) and their high acidity - it is the latter which gives Tokaji wines their longevity. It is most commonly planted in the Tokaj-Hegyalja region and is usually blended with Harslevelu and sometimes Muscat to produce Tokaji Aszú. The grape is also grown widely to produce acidic but sturdy dry white wine.
When is a wine ready to drink?
We provide drinking windows for all our wines. Alongside the drinking windows there is a bottle icon and a maturity stage. Bear in mind that the best time to drink a wine does also depend on your taste.
Not ready
These wines are very young. Whilst they're likely to have lots of intense flavours, their acidity or tannins may make them feel austere. Although it isn't "wrong" to drink these wines now, you are likely to miss out on a lot of complexity by not waiting for them to mature.
Ready - youthful
These wines are likely to have plenty of fruit flavours still and, for red wines, the tannins may well be quite noticeable. For those who prefer younger, fruitier wines, or if serving alongside a robust meal, these will be very enjoyable. If you choose to hold onto these wines, the fruit flavours will evolve into more savoury complexity.
Ready - at best
These wines are likely to have a beautiful balance of fruit, spice and savoury flavours. The acidity and tannins will have softened somewhat, and the wines will show plenty of complexity. For many, this is seen as the ideal time to drink and enjoy these wines. If you choose to hold onto these wines, they will become more savoury but not necessarily more complex.
Ready - mature
These wines are likely to have plenty of complexity, but the fruit flavours will have been almost completely replaced by savoury and spice notes. These wines may have a beautiful texture at this stage of maturity. There is lots to enjoy when drinking wines at this stage. Most of these wines will hold in this window for a few years, though at the very end of this drinking window, wines start to lose complexity and decline.
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Description
Oremus produce wines of an elegance and quality that speaks for itself. The 100% hand-picked grapes perfectly balance sweet fruit with natural acidity. The 2010 vintage was challenging in Hungary, but cool temperatures during the growing period meant the grapes achieved an extraordinary degree of freshness – lending this wine clarity and sophistication. With a deep amber colour, the bouquet sings with apples and soft stone-fruit, still retaining a floral note and the classic honey of sweet Tokaji. Peach-and-apricot pie, orange blossom and spices on the palate precede a wonderfully long, marmalade-like finish. This is outstanding.
Katie Merry, Buying Assistant, Berry Bros. & Rudd (Oct 2021)
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