Axa Millésimes was one of the many international players (along with the likes of Spain’s Vega Sicilia) who pumped money into the Tokaj region in north-eastern Hungary following the fall of Communism. After acquiring the great estate Disznókő , it invested a considerable sum in rehabilitating the vineyards, renovating existing facilities and building an architecturally designed winery with a review to restoring the estate and this once great region to its former glory.
In centuries past, the wines of Tokaj were served in the royal courts of Europe, particularly in tsarist Russia. So highly revered is Tokaji the wine, that it even features in Hungary’s national anthem. Find me a 1st Growth Claret that is mentioned in La Marseillaise!
With the influx of foreign capital to Tokaj came a renewed approach to winemaking. Gone was the oxidative style that marked the wines made during the Communist era, replaced by a cleaner, fresher style, reflective of modern winemaking techniques.
1993 was the first great vintage in the post-Communist era; near perfect conditions contributed to heavy botrytis. Roughly twenty years on seemed like a pretty good time to check on a bottle that had been acquired several years earlier, direct from Disznókő. Quite an advanced amber/tawny in colour, the wine displays a combination of fresh stonefruit, marmalade and grilled hazelnuts. The palate belies the wines colour, and is marked by fresh primary fruit, moderate sweetness held in check by searing acidity.
While some sweet wines can be drunk as a dessert in their own right, or perhaps as an aperitif, this is a wine that needs food. While some might lean toward a fruit-based dessert, or foie gras, this is a sweet wine that will more than comfortably handle the likes of duck or goose served with fruit such as apricots or peaches (as is often the case on the continent). Alternately, try it with the best salty blue cheese you can get your hands on; Roquefort would be perfect.
1993 TOKAJI ASZUESZENCIA Producer: Disznókő
Variety: Sweet wine
Vintage: 1993
Region: Tokaj, Hungary
ABV: 11.5%
Closure: Natural cork
Retail Price: N/a
Date tasted: 28 October 2010
Tasting Note:
Amber verging to tawny, olive at the rim. Marmalade, caramelised orange peel, coffee grinds, roasted hazelnuts. Medium sweet, apricot/peach, muscatel raisins. Moderate complexity, but extremely long on the finish, which is carried by electric acidity. Vibrant, lively and energising.
Score: 18/20
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