and instead reached out for a 500ml bottle of the King of wines … and the Wine of Kings - 2000 Chateau Imperial Aszu Tokaji Aszu

Pouring directly into the glass from the cellar (~59 F.)

After dinner this weekend I decided to have a nice glass of Port. Checking in the cellar I realized I only had vintage Port available, and since vintage Port needs to be finished within 72 hours or so of opening, I decided I would wait for company during the Holidays to open…. and instead reached out for a 500ml bottle of the King of wines … and the Wine of Kings: Tokaji Aszu. The sweetest verson (Escensia) was often reserved for the Kings – Louis XIV and the Russian Czars. The wine is normally a high percentage (90%) FURMINT with some HÁRSLEVELÜ and in this case a small amount of MUSCAT.

Unlike Port, this desert wine is lower in alcohol (12.5% vs. 17%) and the more pottonyos*, the sweeter and lower the alcohol, with Escensia only about 2%... absolutely delicious, but VERY expensive!

This particular Tokaj wine has a gold tint, but only slightly and very clear. The bouquet coming from the glass reminds me of a Sauternes (both are derived from botrytis-infected grapes – or noble rot). There is a smell of orange rinds and flowers (Hawthorne and Linden), and then a strong smell and taste of blackcurrant bud, apricots and prunes in the glass. The wine coats your mouth completely with ample acidity to handle the sweetness. This wine can be served with any sweet dessert particularly fruit based or perhaps cheese, or as a dessert by itself. Try celebrating the Holidays with a very special dessert wine such as Tokaji Aszu…. and leave the pie to the guests!

* Tokay Essencia, the rarest and most expensive of the Tokay wines, is made from the small amount of juice that is squeezed out naturally by the weight of the grapes on top of each other. Over a period of years, this syrupy juice slowly ferments in casks called gönci (which are approximately 140 liters or 37 gallons in size). This extremely slow process produces a liquid so sweet that the ALCOHOL level rarely exceeds 2 percent. There are numerous stories of the restorative powers of Tokay Essencia, including the fact that it was once reserved principally for dying monarchs. Tokay Aszú is made from those same botrytis-infected grapes that gave up much of their juice to make Tokay Aszú depends on how many puttonyos go into a gönci (along with regular MUST from uninfected grapes). The more puttonyos, the sweeter and richer the wine. Tokay Aszú labels indicate how many puttonyos have been used-three, four, or five are the norm, and six on rare occasions. Even sweeter and richer than a six-puttonyos Tokay Aszú is the Tokay Aszú Essensia, which is made without any regular must. A Tokay Aszú Essencia is not too far removed from a Tokay Essensia and is likened to a German TROCKENBEERENAUSLESE. The sugar content of a Tokay Aszú Essencia is so high that it takes several years and the use of a special yeast for it to ferment. (Courtesy of the Wine Dictionary, Epicurious) Essencia. These grapes are kneaded into a paste, which is measured in traditional puttonyos (baskets or hods that hold about 25 kilos or 55 pounds). The sweetness and RICHNESS of a Tokay