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
More about Patricius

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
More about Béres Vineyards

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
More about Chateau Dereszla

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
More about Sauska

Lobster in a spicy nage

Paired with Barta Öreg Király Aszú 2016 and Royal Tokaji Gold Label 2016

After the “warming up” activity, some snack of mangalitza ham with Patricius and Juliet Victor Tokaji Aszús, the first course was lobster with citrusy flavours (lime and lemongrass). Tamlyn Currin, wine writer of JancisRobinson.com participated in the lunch, and she considered Royal Tokaji too tropical, too dense, too much, it overwhelmed the dish, while Barta was a better choice: “Barta, despite having considerably more residual sugar, was piercingly fine, very racy, almost as delicate as the lobster. It made an exquisite pairing. Perhaps one of the best pairings of the whole meal.”

Crispy veal sweetbreads, wild herb and kombu salad

Paired with Hétszőlő Tokaji Aszú 6 puttonyos 2017 and Zsirai Tokaji Aszú 6 puttonyos 2013.

Here – according to Tamlyn Currin – both wines were great with the dish. Hétszőlő Aszú made of 100% Hárslevelű lifted the dense food with the sweet jus. “The Zsirai, with very slightly higher acidity but tasting of orange marmalade on dark-toasted rye bread and pecans in cooked-orange syrup and even a little smoky, synchronised with the dish in a totally different way. Instead of lifting the dish, it echoed the flavour notes, like two tenors singing the same song together. The wine and the food seemed to melt into each other, lines blurred, boundaries lost.”

Pigeon and Persimmon

Paired with Sauska Tokaji Aszú 6 puttonyos 2003 and Füleky Tokaji Aszú 6 puttonyos 2007

Edit Szabó, editor-in-chief and owner of Borsmenta.hu, a Hungarian food and wine online magazine refers to this course as the peak of the whole meal. The Tokaji Aszú wines here were mature and complex with inevitable notes of ageing. The Sauska Aszú celebrated its 18th birthday, yet fresh and persisting. I can’t do anything but to quote Tamlyn again: “When tasted with the food, the two seemed to take each other’s intensity to a new depth, almost as if daring each other to go higher, longer, deeper, bolder. The texture of the wine gave extra grip to the textures of the dish.”

Roquefort, Colston Basset Stilton, Époisses

Paired with Chateau Dereszla Tokaji Aszú 5 puttonyos 2017 and Megyer Tokaji Dry Szamorodni 2011

Isa Bal MS initiated some game here: he proposed the guests to taste the sweet Aszú first (with 169 g/l residual sugar) and then the dry Szamorodni, which was the only dry wine of the menu with only 2 g/l residual sugar. According to Tamlyn Currin Dereszla Aszú was “simply heavenly with the Roquefort”, while the Szamorodni and the Stilton “were a stunning combination.”

Yoghurt gelato

Paired with Patricius Tokaji Eszencia 2000

The estate manager of Patricius, Dr. Péter Molnár was present at the lunch and he gave a wonderful introduction to Tokaj. It was a shiny crown put on to have his heavenly wine at the end of this splendid menu. The spoon in the photo is on purpose: Tokaji Eszencia is even richer in sugar than a Tokaji Aszú, it is the “nectar” in the lyrics of the Hungarian anthem, a natural sweet wine in case of Patricius with 618 g/l residual sugar! As Tamlyn wrote, it was an “all-body experience”: “Just dipping the tip of your tongue in it is almost enough. It’s almost impossible to sip. It was a genius combination.”

Today is Aszú Day. If you haven’t tried any, you can taste it at Trivet – since the above described fabulous lunch the restaurant offers Tokaji Aszú by the glass!

Read Tamlyn Currin’s whole article on JancisRobinson.com

Read Tamlyn Currin’s review of Tokaji Aszú wines

Watch a short video about the lunch

Sweet Tokaj lunch from Wines of Hungary UK on Vimeo.