Definition: Tokaji

Tokaji aszú comes in different categories numbered from 3 to 6 puttonyos. A putton is a 25 kg basket used to harvest overripe grapes, one by one, which are then used to enrich the base wine with aszú (3 puttonyos = sweet, 6 puttonyos = very sweet). Fermentation by maceration remains difficult. Eszencia is a fabulous quintessence of Tokaji, a true sweet grape liqueur renowned for its extraordinary properties. Production is very limited.

After the fall of the Berlin Wall (1989), several foreign enthusiasts began exploring the region's famous cellars, carved out of volcanic rock over many kilometres, in search of these legendary wines. Foreign investors have now acquired significant stakes in order to revive this wine with its astonishing characteristics.

A vast network of cellars dug into the rhyolite and tuff rock maintain a constant temperature (12°C) and humidity (95%), ideal for ageing wines; the galleries branch out over several levels. Some of the galleries are very old, dating back to the^13th century. Long, narrow and vaulted, they have a ventilation system consisting of air intakes called "trous de l'âme" (holes of the soul). The walls are covered with a grey-black mould, Cladosporium, which acts as a filter and contributes to this almost perfect environment for ageing Tokaji wines with such a long shelf life.