Though Furmint is the most recognised grape of Tokaj, some other grapes are allowed as well, including Sárgamuskotály, a member of the Muscat family. In Tokaj it can give gracious, elegant wines, the typical aromas are there, but in a noble manner, far from being overwhelming. The grapes for the new release sweet blend by Barta Winery came from the unparallel terroir of Öreg Király (‘Old King’) vineyard.

133 g residual sugar, 7 g acidity

Well, when a baby is born, the weight and the length are among the first things parents share. Of course, these data do not determine the personality, neither do the sugar and acidity about a wine – yet  they tell a lot!
“Lightly botrytised grapes were harvested for this wine in the drought-stricken 2022 vintage, which saw some welcome rain in late September, eventually fostering the development of noble rot in the vineyards. The Sárgamuskotály part, which makes up half of the blend, was fermented in a steel tank, the Furmint in oak, both at controlled temperatures. The final blend was then aged in a mix of 228-litre French and Hungarian barrelsfor one year.”
Find the wine on Barta webshop

A Tokaji Aszú from Öreg Király – the 2nd best wine of a whole international wine contest

Barta Öreg Király – the Best Tokaji Aszú

Öreg Király vineyard story on JancisRobinson.com

Gergely Somogyi, owner and editor of Tokaj Today made an excellent piece and was shortlisted in the writing contest of Jancis Robinson.com in 2022. The article is about regeneration of vineyards. Gergely gives several detailed examples of renewed vineyards in Tokaj, one of them – probably the most picturesque – is Barta’s Öreg Király Vineyard.

“The spectacular set of terraces in the south-facing, trapezoid-shaped plot of Király Hill of Mád is one of the region’s most photographed vineyard sites. Steeped in history, this tract of land has been in cultivation since the 13th century, yet, the vines up there are all fairly young. They were planted in 2004 and 2005, right after Károly Barta and Ervin Demeter had bought the overgrown stretch of mountainside. 

The renewal was a huge undertaking with trees having had to be cut to reclaim the top part of the dűlő from nature. Despite some five decades of neglect, the terrace walls were in surprisingly good condition. Apart from these terraces, Barta bought and replanted another close to six high-elevation hectares in the south-southeast of the hill and another three in the west to own almost 10 out of the 13.3 hectares currently in production in what is called the Öreg Király today.”

Read Gergely Somogyi’s astonishing article here

Barta wines are available in several countries for example in the UK, Norway, Denmark, France, Belgium and Germany, If you are interested in importing, contact the team!