Patricius, Aszu 5 Puttonyos Tokaji 2017 (500ml)

Jancis Robinson
"Blend of Furmint and Hárslevelű. TA 7.3 g/l, RS 154 g/l.
Apple crumble and cream. One tiny sniff of a glass of this, and I can feel my shoulders relaxing into childhood memories. That soft glow of comfort sweetness. On the palate, a broad, generous, late-harvest abundance of apples that taste as if they're tumbling yellow and pink and rose-tinted gold through honey and cinnamon-scented pear juice. Then a slow tingle of acidity. A tingle that holds, vibrates like a harp string, moves along the spine of the wine and the spine of you until its crescendo on the finish. 17/20 points. (TC)"

Vinous Reverie Notes
In North-Eastern Hungary, Tokaji-Hegyalja is one of the great wine regions of the world. Its unique qualities warranted the world’s first appellation system - over 100 years before Bordeaux. For nearly 400 years, it has served as a diplomatic tool to court foreign powers and has become so ingrained in Hungarian identity that it’s part of their National Anthem. Building on this tradition, Patricius Winery was founded “as an oath to the future” by Dezsõ Kékessy and his daughter Katinka Kékessy. The production is split between the famous sweet Tokaji Aszú and the modern dry single varietal bottling. Fruit is sourced only from premier vineyards that they have slowly been acquiring, row by row, since 1997. In 2000 Tokaji specialist and wine maker Peter Molnar PhD. was hired as general manager. His vision has helped establish Patricius as one of the top tier new estates in the Tokaj-Hegyelja region. Patricius currently cultivates 85 ha of vines all located within the premier vineyards Szárhegy, Czigány, Várhegy, Lapis, Bendecz, Sajgó and Teleki. These vineyards were established by royal decree in 1737. The indigenous Hárslevelü variety is ideally suited to the region's volcanic soils and usually harvested in the middle of October. For the Aszú wines, this is base wine to which the individually hand picked, noble rot affected berries, mashed into a super sweet thick black paste, are then added. The more puttonyos (literally, ‘baskets’) of Aszú fruit, the sweeter and more complex the wine. This produces an intensely flavored, golden, and ageless wine. Tasting Notes: The wine is characterized by a fine nose of tropical fruits, peach and apricot, balanced by a lively acidity and kind sweetness on the palate. A long, smooth taste is giving an elegant finish. This kind of balance between high sugar, high acid and low alcohol are what make Tokaji wines magical. Food Pairing: Enjoy it with dessert, goose liver dishes, and blue cheeses.