Lets talk Tokaji!

Just opened a 2017 Tokaji Harslevelu from the sisters at Esirai. Man, this is great! Floral peach apple nose with some citrus. Enticing palate right from the getgo...crisp acidity, mineral tones, pear. Gonna be a fun evening!

[David M. Bueker]

Sounds like fun. I can’t recall the last time I had a Tokaji. Not sure why, as I do like them.

From your TN, that sounds like a dry Tokaij, Bob. Is that correct?

When I culled 150 sweeties and semi-sweeties from my cellar, there were a couple of Tokaij amongst them, both very sweet 5 puttonyos. I loved them but nobody else in the family did.

I have greatly enjoyed dry Furmint and I always reach for one on the rare occasions when I see it. Hárslevelű is the grape variety, I believe, and I'll be looking out for that now, if I can remember that tongue twisting name.

Yes, harslevelu is a grape variety. I like both dry and sweet Tokaji. I bought some Tokaji Eszencia once. Too much of a good thing, IMO. I haven't found a good source for Tokaji in this area.

-Paul W.

This is a reminder from January 2013 of how good sweet Tokaij can be -

Tokaji Azsù 5 Puttonyos 1988 – Château Megyer – Alc.13% - was rapidly substituted for a corked Côtes de Duras moelleux and proved far superior than a pristine bottle of that wine could have been. It was complex, concentrated and unctuously sweet with a butterscotch undertow but was beautifully balanced by lively moreish acidity which gave it a certain elegance. This was a wine from the communist period and Tokay is said to be doing much better nowadays but it is hard for me to see how. Excellent 17.5/20.