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HUNGARY
– RENAISSANCE –
The desiccation process of the berries after being affected by noble rot
In the North-East of Hungary, not far from the borders
with Ukraine and Slovakia, lies the country’s most
famous wine region – Tokaj. The first wine region to be
classified with growths in 1670, it would go on to secure
one of the first appellations in history, in 1737. At that
time, Tokaj’s fine noble rot wines were very popular with
Russian and European aristocrats.
Set in the foothills of the Zemplén Mountains, the vineyards
now cover 5,800 hectares of poor, volcanic soils facing
South-East and South to South-West. At the foot of these
rolling hills run two rivers, the Bodrog and the Tisza, which
help create the mantle of morning fog that emerges in
September and the spread of the fungus Botrytis Cinerea.
The rot pierces the grape skins and infects the fruit before
being obliterated by the afternoon sunshine. The grapes
are then gradually desiccated, take on brownish hues and
develop concentrated aromas, sugars and acids to become
Aszú, like the eponymous, storied noble rot wine of Tokaj.
Mirroring the trend for Sauternes, since the turn of the century
Tokaji has borne the brunt of plummeting consumption
of noble rot wines worldwide. So, without turning its
back on its glorious past – and incredible showcase for the
region across the globe – Tokaj has successfully reinvented
itself by transitioning towards the production of dry white
WINTER 2021 GILBERT & GAILLARD - THE FRENCH EXPERTS ON WINE 65