Tokaji Aszu Eszencia Disznoko (Domaine) 1988

Lot presentation

Tokaji Aszu Eszencia Disznoko (Domaine) 1988

The wine

Particularly rare and difficult to find on the market, this Eszencia Tokaj is made from grapes that have developed noble rot. The grapes extract juice using their own weight. Alcoholic fermentation can be extremely long as the grape must is very sugary; thus, this wine has a very low level of alcohol (around 1-3%). With its high acidity, this wine can be aged for decades in the cellar. Intensely golden in colour, its aromatic bouquet is complex. We find varied notes of gentle spice, honey, caramel, oak, and dried fruit. Its unctuous, syrupy texture is balanced by the fantastic acidity that confers it an undeniable freshness and finesse.

Disznoko is the biggest Tokaj domain, with a vineyard spanning 100 hectares in north-west Hungary, on the Slovakian border. It's also one of the highest-reputed. Axa Millésimes purchased it in 1993 and totally restored it. A new winery was built in 1995, decked out with the latest tech innovations. Laszlo Meszaos, an agriculturalist who trained in Perpan then in Hungary, before arriving at Disznoko in 1995. He has been managing the domain since 2000. Six white grape varieties are grown in Tokaj: Fürmint, Zeta, Harslevelu, Muscat Jaune, Köverszölö and Kabar. La Revue du vin de France confirmed that Axa Millésimes' purchase of the domain ‘provoked a little revolution in shaking up the original style of the Tokaji Aszù. Does this mean they betrayed the unique identity of the Disznoko terroir? Far from it. With great purity, and marked by a magnificent acidity , the wines are very elegant and age admirably well'.