Vintus

In a recent visit to the Disznókő winery, wine lover and blogger, Luiz Alberto shared his experience on his blog TheWineHub.com. Alberto spent a week in Hungary, making his first stop Disznókő and as he put it, it “couldn’t have started any better”. After walking the vineyards and learning how to prune, Disznókő applies short-stalk pruning, he and his group of fellow wine lovers sit down for an amazing tasting of over 10 Disznókő wines including a personal favorite, the 6 Puttonyos 1993. Click here to see some of his great photos and read more about Luiz Alberto’s visit!

The World of Fine Wine has published a spectacular profile of Disznókő in its latest issue.  Good technical details on the Aszú process and great notes on the current 5 Puttonyos 2005, among other wines.  “If must is the chosen medium for maceration, then the Aszú berries are left uncrushed, added (half and half berries and must for five putonyos) when the must has fermented to 2-3% ABV, and allowed to rise to the top. Maceration lasts two to three days, with some pumping over.” Also excellent background on how Tokaj emerged after Communism and Disznókő’s role: “Disznókő was the first spectacular estate; it showed what a winery can be, with a great aesthetic and great site.  It became a benchmark for the region”.

Wine & Spirits Magazine just published a feature on the common myths surrounding the legendary Tokaji region (December 2012 issue). In the section on one common myth, “Tokaji is for Dessert”, the reporter writes about her lunch with Lázsló Mészáros of Disznókö, who enjoys Tokaji with his main course at the Sárga Borház Disznókö restaurant. “sipping chilled Tokaji Aszú with goose liver pâté…he has a pork cutlet, pounded thin, breaded and through the cheese course.” Check out the picture of Sárga Borház and read more about Myth #5 below.

The World of Fine Wine, in issue 34 of 2011, gives great recognition to the the historic estate Disznókő in Tokaj.  Disznókő has just made its first commercial release of an Aszu wine from the Kapi Vineyard, a subsection of Disznoko’s vineyard located on the upper part of the southern slopes, where the soil is made up of a distinctly lighter clay than anywhere else on the estate, as well as a higher proportion of volcanic rock.

The wine has an unbelievable combination of concentration and elegance – it feels almost light on the palate – and the finish goes on forever.  Click the image below to download the piece.

A feature in latest issue of American Way magazine offers “A Brief Guide in Tokaji,” starring Disznoko Tokaji Aszu.

“Before there was Champagne, there was Tokaj — the remote region of northeastern Hungary where an unusually sweet wine is produced. Sticklers recognize a variety of dry white wines from the region (labeling them as Tokaji), but the area’s prized Aszú dessert wines are the most cherished.”

The article celebrates the re-emergence of Aszu (and we do, too) with a nod to Disznoko 5 Puttonyos:

“A slightly spicier, more buttery option; the company is on the rise, thanks to innovative technologies and an exemplary track record, now 19 years strong.”

Read it all here.

A quick note from the New York Times, where Eric Asimov recommends the Disznoko 5 Puttonyos in his “Gifts for Wine and Cocktail Lovers” column. Says Asimov:

“Even more off the well-trodden path is one of the greatest sweet wines in the world, Tokaji aszu, from Hungary. These wines are measured on the puttonyos scale of sweetness, from three up to six. A five puttonyos Tokaji aszu from a good producer like Disznoko can be a thrilling balancing act of sweetness and refreshment.”

Travel blogger Stuart George attended a recent Disznókő tasting hosted by Christian Seely at Maze in London, and the experience left him “glowing all the way from Mayfair to Stockwell.”

While the pairings were extremely daring, George reports, the Disznókő offerings held their own beautifully. Among them: 2008 Late Harvest, 1993 Tokaji Aszú 5 Puttonyos, 2009 Tokaji Dry Furmint, 2005 Kapi Vineyard Tokaji Aszú 6 Puttonyos, and the superb 2005 Tokaji Eszencia:

“Perhaps the rarest and most overwhelming of all sweet wines, Tokaji Eszencia is a lightly alcoholic syrup made from the small quantity of juice that drips from the Aszú grapes before they are mashed to a paste…

“…A ‘few hundred’ 500cl bottles were made of this wine – or rather grape juice – of simply astonishing sweetness, concentration and length, and one that supports the legend of Tokaji as an elixir capable of raising the ill from their bed. At any rate, I was glowing all the way from Mayfair to Stockwell.”

Read about the entire tasting here.

In his column in the New York Times today, Eric Asimov encourages readers to look beyond the obvious when selecting wines this summer. Want to chill out next to the pool? A brisk dry Furmint is the perfect match! Eric singles out Disznókő as one of the grape’s greatest producers and champions.

“For anybody truly curious about the glorious extent of wine, now is the greatest time in history to be a wine lover. Never before has such a vast diversity of wines been available to so many people. Many are made from unfamiliar grapes, grown in little-known places, yet they offer thrilling drinking for those eager for new experiences…

“Furmint is the great white grape of Hungary. It’s a crucial constituent in the lavish sweet wine Tokaji aszu, and increasingly is being used in distinctive dry wines with rich textures and complex floral aromas. Look for producers like Disznoko.”

The full article is here, and it’s well worth a read.