The sweet wines of Tokaj, Hungary

If you have a sweet tooth, you may enjoy the sweet wines of Hungary. With their honeyed notes, orange peel and sweet spice aromas these wines let you know your consuming something decadent. And with sugar levels getting up to almost 900g/L in some cases, they definitely scratch that sweetness itch. A comparable wine style would be a sweet Sauternes, and it is increasingly difficult to tell these wines apart. But how are they made?

Well, there are actually a number of different ways to make a sweet wine in Tokaj. So let’s cover off the basics first, and then explore the methods used.

Firstly, Tokaj has a particular reputation in the wine world. It was the first geographical area to be classified as a wine region. The wine region was designated in 1757, almost 40 years before the Portuguese appellation of Port, and 135 before Burgundy, France. Indeed, Louis XIV famously commented that Tokaj wine was, “the wine of kings, the king of wines.” You would think that would be a marketers dream, however in the 18th century the quote didn’t have chance to go viral!

The nearly 6000 hectares of vineyards, lie in shadow of the Carpathian mountains. There is a mix of volcanic soil and clay, and the climate is warm continental. On the day I visited in May, I was happy to escape to the cool of cellars as temperatures were approaching 30°C (86°F). Only six varieties of vines are allowed in the appellation. These are: Furmint, Hárslevelű, Sárga Muskotály, Kövérszőlő, Zéta and Kabar. You may be observing that you have seen none of these varieties on a bottle at your local supermarket. They are all Hungarian in origin.

Around 60% of grapes grown in Tokaj are Furmint grapes. And 30% is Hárslevelű. Remaining grapes, are largely used for blending to add particular characteristics to the final wine. Both Furmint and Hárslevelű are late ripening, and Hárslevelű is the more aromatic of the two varieties. And, despite its reputation for sweet wine making, actually only 5% of the production is sweet wine. The remainder is still white wine and sparkling wines, mostly made from Furmint, Hárslevelű or blends. No red grapes are allowed in the appellation.

Sweet wine method 1 – Tokaj Aszu

Tokaj Aszu is the flagship wine, and for good reason. To understand how it is produced, we have to understand the microclimate of Tokaj. The location, proximity to rivers and mountains, and continentality lead to misty mornings and dry afternoons. These conditions allow a fugus called Botrytis to develop on the grape skins. The fungus is a good fungus, and also known as noble rot. The fungus punctures the grapes skins allowing moisture to escape, concentrating the sugars.

Grapes are harvested by hand. This is because, the Botrytis affects each grape differently, and only those with the right level of ‘infection’ are harvested. This means multiple harvests throughout the season. The final grapes are shrivelled like raisins, with very little moisture. Because of this, the berries (grapes) are macerated (soaked) in base wine or grape must for 12 to 60 hours, prior to pressing. The wine is pressed and stored in oak barrels to ferment and age. The cellars themselves are also covered in noble rot.

Until fairly recently the wine was sold in pharmacies due to its amazing health benefits. Sweetness levels are measured in puttonyos. A 6 puttonyos wine was traditionally made using the juice of grapes from six 25L baskets of grapes, which were fermented in a single 136L barrel. It now denotes any wine with more than 150g/L of residual sugar.

The resulting wine is a sweet wine, which retains good acidity. Flavours include: honey, apricots, candied orange peel, pineapple, caramel, dried roses, and sometimes an oxidised note. It is decadent, and makes a great dessert wine. Good examples can age 100 years and beyond.

Sweet wine method 2 – Szamorodni

The name Szamorodni actually loosely translates to – as it comes. This reflects the fact that instead of using hand harvested single berries (grape), the Szamorodni wine is made using whole bunches. The bunches are still hand harvested, but in this case will contain grapes with different levels of Botrytis. For this reason Szamorodni wines may be dry or sweet depending on the proportion of ‘infected’ grapes.

The method of production is most similar to Sauternes or a German Beerenauslese (BA). Usually a first maceration will take place for between 6 to 12 hours with the skins and stems. This means that some of the colour, flavours and tannins from the skins find their way into the wine. As a result, they can have some qualities not dissimilar to an orange wine. Wines also pick up colour, oxidation and flavours from oak aging. A minimum of six months is required, but two years is no uncommon.

Szamorodni wines are notable for their honey, dried fruit, green walnut, apple peel and chamomile notes. The wines must have at least 50g/L of sugar, and dried examples can taste similar in style to a dry Fino sherry. Perfect food pairings are blue cheese, a fruity dessert or Tapas. Depending on the sweetness level, these wines also have good potential for aging and I would expect most to get at least between five year and a quarter of a century with no worries.

Sweet wine method 3 – Late Harvest wines

In common with many other wine regions, Tokaj also makes sweet wines from late harvested grapes. If you know that grapes get sweeter as they ripen, you probably understand how this works. Grapes are allowed to remain on the vine for longer, sugar levels build up and a harvest takes place when sugars have developed. These grapes are not necessarily affected by Botrytis, the sweetness comes from natural sugars from the ripening process.

Because the grape varieties used are able to retain acidity even when ripe, they create wines which are well balanced, but sweet. The berries (grapes) may well raisin naturally as they dehydrate in the heat. This concentrates the flavours and sugars further.

The resulting wines are sweet, but less so than Aszu and the sweeter Szamorodni wines. Floral qualities from the Hárslevelű grape tend to be more prominent in these wines. Other flavours include: ripe peach, exotic fruits, marmalade, ginger, minerality and blossom. The winemaker may choose to age in oak, but may not. Good examples can age 15 years or longer. And they pair well with white meats desserts, and blue cheese.

Sweet wine method 4 – Ice wine

Although not necessarily known for ice wine, Hungary does in fact produce a number of ice wines in several regions. Eger ice wines from the Muscat, Cabernet Franc, and Cabernet Sauvignon grapes. If you haven’t tried a red ice wine, its worth a visit. Tokaj, however, is a white wine area, and ice wines are made here using the permitted Tokaj grapes.

Berries (grapes) are allowed to continue to grow on the vines into the Autumn when temperatures drop. When the temperatures hit around -7°C (19.4°F), the grapes are harvested and pressed. As most of the water in the grape is frozen, the liquid which is produced is more concentrated. This results in greater amounts of sugar, flavour and acid, creating a naturally sweet wine.

Unlike the Aszu and Szamorodni wines, these wines are usually not ‘infected’ with noble rot. As a result they do not take on the flavours of botrytised wines. In many ways, they can be thought of as a purer expression of the grape. Consequentially, the wines can be florally expressive as well as sweet. They often have melon, honey, and almond notes, as well as potentially oxidised apple flavours from the Furmint grape. Aging up to 10 years may be possible.

Pairing and ice wine with either spicy or salty food can be a good combination. Rich foods also pair well with a high quality ice wine. However, I recommend before you start pairing, have at least one sip before you eat anything to get a feel for the raw flavour profile.

Sweet wine method 5 – Stopping fermentation

You probably know that fermentation converts sugar to alcohol, making a wine less sweet. A simple method of making a sweet wine then is simply to stop the fermentation prior to all the sugar being converted. Fermentation can be ended by chilling the wine, and the filtering the yeast. Alternatively, Suplhur Dioxide can be added.

A wine made using this method will likely retain the flavour profile of the grapes, while being sweeter to taste. Unlike botrytised wines, no flavours from mould are usually present. Although in theory it is possible to make a Szamorodni wine this way, and end fermentation early.

This method is obviously least expensive, but can still produce some good wines.

Sweet wine method 6 – Eszencia

You will be pleased to know I’ve saved the best for last! The most concentrated wine – Tokaj Eszencia) is made from grapes which are made from free run juice. No pressing is involved, they are crushed under their own weight, which takes a considerable amount of time. Just to give some idea of the scale of this, it takes roughly 83Kg of grapes to produce 1L of wine!

The final wine has at least 450g/L of residual sugar content. This actually technically means it is not a wine. This is because it is so sweet it cannot ferment to a high enough ABV. Most wines are less than 5% ABV.

It is not unusual to see Eszencia on high end restaurant menus served on a (usually gold or crystal) spoon. Expect your eyes to water when the bill comes though. Typically a spoon of Eszencia is around £200 ($260 / eur 240).

Royal Tokaji Essencia 2008 vintage has been officially deemed the most expensive wine in the world, and bottles sell for up to £40,000. A Royal Tokaji Essencia 2013, also scored a perfect score of 100 points on the official wine scoring scale. It was, therefore, a bit of a bucket list item to taste the Tokaj Eszencia during my visit to Tokaj in May 2024. Doing so in the atmosphere of the cellar, and tasting it directly from the barrel with the owner made it all the more special an experience.

The experience was incredible. The complexity of flavours is hard to describe, but everything present in a great Aszu was there, plus more nutty, dried fruit, marzipan and sweet spice notes. Even if you don’t like sweet wines, you’d be hard pressed not to appreciate the layers of flavours.

Being a little controversial, I wouldn’t pair a Eszencia with anything. It deserves a stage of it own, to dazzle from. You are also unlikely to want to consume a lot of it. That is, unless you have a serious wish to become diabetic from the high sugar content. If you love wine, this is a must try wine in my experience.

So whether you are a sweet wine fan or not, hopefully you now know that the sweet wines of Tokaj are more than just the Aszu. One of the latest trends is blending these different styles of sweet wine making to create a wine which benefits from the flavours of each method. If you find yourself in Hungary, Tokaj can be done on a day trip from the capital Budapest. However, for something truly special, book an overnight stay and spend two days there! In the meantime, keep exploring this beautiful planet we live on, one glass at a time!