The sparkling stars of our cover photo

Béres Tokaji Méthode Traditionnelle Brut 2019

The winery has collected several great acknowledgments recently, like the highest scores for Hungarian wines at Decanter World Wine Award. This bottle fermented is made of 100% Hárslevelű, which is less typical in Tokaj wine region, than sparklings made of Furmint. “Dry, fresh, yet with a very rich palate with hints of apple, pear, peach, citrus, and rhubarb with a strong minerality that lingers in the finish along with grapefruit-like citrusy and tart green apple characteristics.”
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Garamvári Lellei Furmint Brut

This family-owned winery was the first use Furmint variety for bottle fermented sparkling wines. Back then it was made of Furmint from Tokaj, and they keep on producing it, but this wine is made of Furmint from the South shore of Lake Balaton. This sparkling wine has been chosen the best traditional method sparkling wine of the latest edition of the Hungarian National Wine Contest. “The base wine come from just opposite the winery from Balatonlelle. The Furmint is an excellent grape variety for sparkling wines. The variety has outstanding acidity in our wine region and our soil has similar characteristics as the soil of Tokaj region. Here the grape has more fruitiness and lighter aromas. It bears a very strong character with refreshing citruses, green apple and creamy, biscuit notes.”
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Holdvölgy Hold and Hollo Uppp 2024

The winery makes outstanding quality dry and sweet wines, unforgettable Tokaji Aszú wines as well, while Uppp is the playful face of the estate, an aerated sparkling wine with only 9.7 g/L residual sugar, made of Zéta and Hárslevelű. “The 10th vintage of our sparkling wine, dressed in orange, is explosive with its subtle and dynamic bubbles. The nose is filled with floral notes, citrus, and peach, evoking a vibrant fruit medley. The palate is crispy and flavourful, featuring peach, pomelo, and refreshing pink grapefruit. A lively and charming Hold and Hollo experience.”
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Koch Chardonnay Brut, Extra Brut and Brut Nature 2017

The above described three sparkling wines are all made of indigenous grapes, while the sparklings of Csaba Koch are made of Chardonnay. It does not mean that he is not keen on local grapes, on the contrary, he has Kadarka, Irsai, Cserszegi and many other wines made of local grapes, but for the Champagne method sparkling wine he wanted a Champagne variety. He makes three types of sparkling Chardonnay: a brut, an extra brut and a brut nature – this latter one is unfiltered, really exciting and complex! All of them spend one year with the lees in the bottle. The best is to try all of them along each other…
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Challenges and joys of the vintage 

“It was hard to be patient hope for botrytis. We were over the harvest of grapes for dry wines, but we needed the botrytised grapes to appear for our late harvest, Szamorodni and Tokaji Aszú wines.” – commented the chief winemaker. Finally, in the second half of October the miraculous botrytised berries arrived!
The chief winemaker is satisfied with the wines ageing in the cellar. The fruity, reductive wines are excellent – both the still and sparkling wines, and they could make the 2024 vintage of their iconic single vineyard wines: Omlás Furmint and Lőcse Furmint.
There is a Hárslevelű parcel (planted in 2021) in Lőcse vineyard, which has just turned into production. The virgin vintage will be vinified as a lovely late harvest sweet wine.
“I am curious and absolutely positive about the Tokaji Aszú 2024. Just like in 2017, it was made of 100% Furmint.”
Attila, the vineyard manager is happy to speak about “his own barrel”. “There was a barrel with fermenting Furmint. After several samplings it still proved to be the best, so the colleagues wrote a note on it saying: “The Vineyard Manager’s Barrel”. Since then, it has been transferred to the cellar, the note is still on it, I still taste it often, and it is still the best! I hope that it will show its best at the final selection.”

Conclusions?

The vineyard manager explained that the year 2024 was difficult and there was a constant threat of mildew. The protection of the plants had special importance this year. The chief winemaker was sort of worried about low acidity and too fast ripening, as it can happen in extremely hot and dry vintages. This is why they decided to start harvesting early and they did not regret it at all. “We kept analysing the mock-harvest results, and we did start harvesting early to avoid extremely elevated must grades and to preserve the crispy acidity of the wines. Regarding quantity, we are somewhat behind the expectations, but quality-wise we consider it a really good vintage.”

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Béres Tokaji Aszú 6 puttonyos 2016, Tokaj: 95 pts (gold)

Decanter panel’s review: A tour de force with myriad candied orange peel, tangerine and dried apricot characters with a searing backbone of lemon acidity and a vibrant finish. (DWWA 2023)
Grapes: 65% Furmint, 35% Muscat Lunel
Fact sheet
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Chateau Dereszla Tokaji Aszú, Tokaj, 2019: 92 pts (silver)

Decanter panel’s review: Aromas of saffron with apricot jam, some juicy apple and tropical notes of papaya. Very juicy acidity, well made and long. (DWWA 2024)
Grapes: 70% Furmint, 30% Hárslevelű
Fact sheet
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Feind Choice 2018, Balatonfüred–Csopak: 96 pts (gold)

Decanter panel’s review: Oozing with delectable dried mango, apricot and peach jam with an undercurrent of vanilla harmony; lavish and spectacular with a dashing, youthful burst of acidity. (DWWA 2023)
Grape: 100% Zeusz
Fact sheet
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Patricius Tokaji Aszú 5 puttonyos 2018: 92 pts (silver)

Decanter panel’s review: Aromas of honeysuckle, gingerbread, apricot jam and caramel with some floral nuances. Harmonious and vinious, waxy texture and long finish. (DWWA 2024)
Grapes: 76% Furmint, 11% Yellow Muscat, 9% Zéta
Fact sheet
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Sauska Medve Furmint 2021, Tokaj: 97 pts (platinum)

Decanter panel’s review: Cuts an alluring dash with stylish grapefruit, peach and apricot characters laced with delicious coconut oak. Steely, vivid and fresh with a linear structure, a spine-tingling citrus acidity and vibrant saline finish. Long and precise. (DWWA 2024)
Grape: 100% Furmint
Fact sheet
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Secrets of a tough pairing

The 16-page Tokaj supplement begins with a travel-friendly Tokaj guide written by Jonathan Wiggin writer, photographer and artist. Probably sometimes it is good to have a non-wine writer in a wine publication – Wiggin targets the human in wine nerds, recommends lovely places and experiences from Holdvölgy treasure hunting cellar experience to a stay in the magnificent Rákóczi-Aspremont mansion at Barta Winery.
Caroline Gilby MW gives a handy guide to the different styles and vintages of sweet Tokaj wines – an essential reading to start the whole sweet journey. Then comes the introduction to the whole food pairing procedure by Isa Bal MS, who also participated in the selection of restaurants along with Zsuzsa Toronyi (Wines of Hungary UK / Wine Communications), the brain behind the whole sweet Tokaj campaign. Isa Bal explains the ground rules of matching Tokaji Aszú and food, to read all an issue of Decanter should be bought, but here is an excerpt: “Firstly, foods high in fat, salt, sugar and acidity, as well as ingredients such as saffron, all complement the sweetness and mineral structure of these wines. Also, consider matching the weight and body of the wine to that of the dish. Include elements that are in contrast to, or resemble the properties of the wine, such as salt to pair with sweetness, paprika and saffron-like spices for similar flavours. Charring or caramelisation goes well with the sweetness and minerality of the wine. Punchy, strong flavours are always good, as long as they are matched with similarly punchy, fuller styles of wine.” The interviews with the sommeliers / chefs, from which we quote below, were made by Natasha Hughes MW.
The supplement also lists all the US stockists of Tokaji Aszú wines with prices.

4 great pairings with Tokaji Aszú

To see all the 10 heavenly matches, check out the latest issue of Decanter magazine

Patricius Aszú with grilled sweetbreads

By Sofia Crepaz head sommelier, Trivet, London SE1 (Michelin 1*)
DISH Grilled sweetbreads with smoked maitake mushrooms, pickled lingonberries and wild cumin
WINE Patricius, Aszú 6 Puttonyos 2017
(£49.95-£56.50/50cl Eton Vintners, Great Wines Direct, NY Wines, The Great Wine Co)
‘The sweetbreads are really quite opulent and fatty,’ Crepaz says, ‘and there’s a very concentrated reduced sauce that adds saltiness. That saltiness is beautifully balanced by the sweetness and minerality of the wine, while the Aszú’s high level of acidity helps to clear the palate from the richness of the sweetbreads, leaving it refreshed and wanting another bite of food.’
More about Trivet
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Béres Aszú & The five gourds

By Urcino Garcia Hernandez head sommelier, Chef’s Table and Twenty Eight, Chester
DISH The five gourds (a dish that combines five different kinds of squash and pumpkin)
WINE Béres, Aszú 5 Puttonyos 2011 (£34.99/50cl Baythorne Wines)
‘Squash has a natural sweetness’, explains Hernandez, ‘and it complements the sweetness in the wine. The wine’s residual sugar also works well with the heat of the togarashi spice and that hint of Asian flavours, while the candied pecans, which we scatter in with the seeds, bring out the notes of dried fig, date and sweet almonds in the wine.’
More about Twenty-Eight
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Dereszla Aszú & Slow-cooked pork belly

By Fabrizio Di Pasquale head sommelier, Piazza Italiana, London EC2R
DISH Slow-cooked pork belly with Piedmont chestnuts, honey-caramelised onions and Italian herbs
WINE Chateau Dereszla, Aszú 5 Puttonyos 2019 (£36.64/50cl Armit Wines)
‘The slow-cooked pork belly gave this dish a luxuriously unctuous character,’ he says, ‘and the Aszú wine alongside it performed its contrasting role of palate-cleansing with an exhilarating burst of brightness.’ But acidity isn’t the only weapon in the arsenal of Chateau Dereszla, a winery which dates back to 1406. ‘Like many Aszú wines from Tokaj, this cuvée has a kind of earthy, truffled note thanks to the botrytis,’ notes Di Pasquale, ‘and this complemented the earthiness you find in the chestnuts, helping the flavours of wine and food to work harmoniously together.”
More about Piazza Italiana
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Sauska Aszú & Singapore chilli lobster

By Heath Ball owner, The Red Lion & Sun, London N6
DISH Singapore chilli lobster
WINE Sauska, Aszú 5 Puttonyos 2019 (£30.49-£39.50/50cl Hedonism, The Fine Wine Co, The Great Wine Co)
‘The lobster and the sauce are quite sweet, which means that they rhyme perfectly with the sweetness of the Tokaji,’ explains Ball, ‘while the wine’s sweet lemon sherbet notes and naturally high acidity cut through the richness of the lobster meat. ‘The flavours of dried apricot and mango in the wine, along with a bit of herbaceousness, work so well with the ginger and the chilli in the sauce.’
More about The Red Lion & Sun
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Vibrant and ethereal

Once upon a time Tokaj was famous only for sweet wines – the noble Tokaji Aszú and its little brother called Tokaji Szamorodni. The “wine of the kings and king of the wines” saying also refers to Tokaji Aszú, since it has been the most important export product of the region for centuries. It was around the years 2000 when dry Tokaj wines appeared – by now all Tokaj estate has at least a few varietal or blended dry wines. And then, about 10 years ago producers realized that Tokaj grapes have the potential to give great bottle fermented sparkling wines, however, while most estates use Furmint or a blend of Furmint and other varieties, Béres Vineyards has chosen the more fragrant Hárslevelű.
The grapes were whole-cluster pressed and the wine aged 36 months on lees. It is a brut sparkling wine with a very little dosage: only 5 grammes of expedition liqueur were added at disgorgement. “Extremely vibrant, lively, and vibrating, yet full and elegant sparkling wine made from 100% Hárslevelű. Dry, fresh, yet with a very rich palate with hints of apple, pear, peach, citrus, and rhubarb with a strong minerality that lingers in the finish along with grapefruit-like citrusy and tart green apple characteristics.”

The website of Béres Vineyards has recently been renewed, now it is available in English and we can find plenty of information about the wines including the characteristic of each vintage.

Béres Vineyards website
Have you not heard of Hárslevelű variety?

Check it out in our Grape Dictionary

Grape Varieties

Our earlier article about Gléda

The ’lovechild’ of two obsessed restaurateurs

Béres, Tokaji Eszencia, 2008, Tokaj

Quoted from Taste Hungary

Tokaji Eszencia is a wine so rich and concentrated that it’s more likely to be served in a special crystal spoonthan in a glass. It’s produced from the free-run juice of the Aszú berries. The botrytised Aszú grapes, which have been hand selected in the vineyards over numerous harvests, are piled into vats, with the weight of the beries squeezing out their sugary juice. This essence of grape—hence its name—contains an incredible amount of sugar, sometimes as much as 800 grams per liter. This juice is then fermented for years. The sugary environment means it takes a while for the yeasts to get to work, very slowly, and they are rarely able to produce more than five percent alcohol. This is one of the world’s most expensive wines, only produced ion the best vintages. “At least one hundred times more grapes are needed for Eszencia than for a bottle of table wine,” wrote British wine writer Hugh Johnson.

Order in the US
239 USD / bottle (250 ml)

More about Béres Vineyard

Gere, Kopar, 2018, Villány

Quoted from Taste Hungary

Kopar is arguably Hungary’s most iconic red wine. The first vintage of Kopar was released in 1997, and since then it has become one of Hungary’s most sought after wines. It was one of the first rich, full-bodied, age-worthy wines to get local and international recognition. Kopar is not Gere’s most expensive wine, but it is, by far, his most famous. This exceptional wine is a blend of Cabernet Franc (50 percent) and Merlot (40 percent), spiced up with some Cabernet Sauvignon (10 percent). In the glass, this wine has a deep ruby color with intense and concentrated aromas of black and blue fruit, sweet tobacco, leather, and sandalwood. It has 14.5 percent alcohol; rich and concentrated flavors of blackberry, graphite, and dark chocolate; and a firm tannin and acid structure.
Order in the US
$39.90 USD / bottle (750 ml)
More about A. Gere Winery

4th edition with a new category

In the first three years we also judged at the Wine of the House of Parliament contest. Our dear friend, Zoltán Sánta was the chief organizer until his sudden death in 2018. The process of the wine selection has been carried on with the same rigour ever since. This year 231 wines entered from 103 wineries in 18 wine regions. The aim of the contest is to select typical Hungarian wines mostly made of indigenous variety so that the diplomats and guests of the Hungarian Parliament could have high quality examples of our wine culture. The categories are made accordingly, thus the must-have category of Tokaji Aszú or Bikavér (Bull’s Blood) are also included. This year to follow the trends – and the popularity of it in Hungary – the rosé category was added.

The winners of the nine categories
– Olaszrizling: Petrányi Olaszrizling Birtokválogatás, 2017, Balatonfüred–Csopak
– Furmint: MAD Furmint Selection, 2017, Tokaj
– Other white: Istvándy Kékderű Badacsonyi Kéknyelű, 2019, Badacsony
– Rosé: Gál Kékfrankos Rosé, 2019, Kunság
– Kékfrankos: Csányi Teleki Selection Villányi Kékfrankos, 2017, Villány
– Bikavér: Thummerer Egri Bikavér Superior 2016, Eger
– Kadarka: Németh János Szekszárdi Kadarka, 2018, Szekszárd
– Cabernet Franc: Vin Art Villányi Franc, 2017, Villány
– Tokaji Aszú: Béres 6 puttonyos Tokaji Aszú, 2016, Tokaj
Let us introduce three of the winners.

Kékfrankos – Teleki Selection Villányi Kékfrankos

Csányi Winery has received several national and international ackowledgements for this wine, which is made of Kékfrankos (known as Blaufrankisch in Austria), the most widely planted black grape in Hungary. A typical Kékfrankos is abundant in red fruits, complex, yet easy to drink, balanced, elegant. “Villányi Kékfrankos has the colour of ruby with medium intensity. The nose is dominated by ripe sour cherry and blueberry. The fruity notes of the nose are continued on the palate, whereas the aftertaste is rounded and long. A smaller portion of the wine was matured in barrel, while the majority was vinified in stainless steel tank.”
More about Csányi Winery

Bikavér – Thummerer Egri Bikavér Superior

If we counted the number of medals Thummerer Winery have won so far, we bet this estate would be crowned as the King of Bikavér. Vintage 2016 has also collected a handful of gold, for example at VinAgora international competition. The blend is made of Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cuvée, Kékfrankos, Merlot and Syrah. “Only the most outstanding vintages produce Superior, which is the top category of the Bikavér. It contains varieties from both the Carpathian-basin and worldwide known varieties in equal balance. 18-month wooden barrel aging was followed by long aging in the bottles. Superior dry red wine with protected origin.”
More about Thummerer Winery

Tokaji Aszú – Béres 6 puttonyos Tokaji Aszú

The key to success in case of the Tokaji Aszú is the balance. The huge amount of sugar has to be balanced by acidity to impress the costumers. Béres Vineyard and Winery pays attention to every detail to achieve this balance: they buy their barrels from a local, very small and high quality cooperage, their vineyards are in the best places of Erdőbénye village and the grape is selected, the quality is controlled at every step. “Golden with an orange tint. Big and bold the nose reveals layers of dried fruits, beeswax, honey, caramel besides the typical notes of oak aging. An elegant acidity enlivens the palate highlighting a core of juicy tropical fruits and citrus. Residual sugar, volume and alcohol are all seamlessly integrated in this unctuous wine. The finish is laced with Earl Grey tea and chamomile. Opening a bottle of this Aszú is cause enough to celebrate.“

More about Béres Vineyard and Winery