Disznókő Tokaji: Latest Releases
BY NEAL MARTIN |
I have
adored and drunk Hungarian Tokaji for over 20 years now, and though I don’t
have the time to visit the region or report as widely as I would like to, I do taste
the wines whenever possible. There is no escaping the fact that sweet Tokaji
wines are a niche outside of Hungary, notwithstanding the quality and the
effort that goes into making them and the value they represent. That was
evidenced by a tasting of Disznókő’s latest releases at St. Martin’s Hotel in
London. Maybe it was because of the inclement weather outside, but I found
myself alone in the tasting room with estate director, László Mészáros (picture
below). Invited sommeliers were only notable by their absence. That is a great
pity, emphasizing what a tough category sweet wine is at the moment, out of
vogue with consumers whether it is Sauternes, German Riesling or, indeed,
Hungarian Tokaji.
Of
course, not all Tokaji is sweetened by Aszú berries, and dry Furmint can be
exceptional. Disznókő’s dry wines under the “Inspiration” label are simply
delicious and an outstanding value for money. Personally, I enjoy these wines
when blended with a little Hárslevelú grape variety, a bit like adding Semillon
to Sauvignon Blanc. Quality reaches its peak with their range of sweet wines at
the higher levels of Puttonyos, five or six. Their single vineyard bottling
from the Kapi Vineyard has wonderful tension and complexity. A handful of more
mature vintages were less interesting, to be honest. That does not infer Tokaji
cannot age; rather, it underlines the strides that have been made at the estate
over the last decade.
Despite a long and illustrious history, Tokaji remains undiscovered by many wine lovers, not only its famous sweet Aszú wines but also its dry whites. I wish I could spend more time with its wines, but I did have a chance to taste a raft of young and old releases from Disznókő in London recently.
