Yellow gold. Youthful and exuberant nose of Seville orange and marmalade with layers of citrus, lime and honeyed fruit and flowers. Searing acidity underlying the intense flavours on the palate. Still very young and will continue to develop significantly over the coming years. Good complexity.
Crown Estates of Hungary, formerly the Tokaj Kereskedóház Rt, is the only major wine company in the region that is 100% Hungarian owned. The company was formed in 1993 following a period of privatisation of state assets and is now supplied with grapes from many local growers. It also owns 80 hectares of vineyard which include the former Royal Estate ‘Great First Growth’ Szarvas, Kirárly in Mád, and Szentvér in Tolcsva.  The company is responsible for some 25% of Tokaji wine production and owns the top cellars in the region as well as the unique Museum Cellar where spectacular wines from the very best vintages of the past 100 years are kept in ideal conditions.

Vineyards: Only wines in the 6000 hectare Tokaji-Hegyalja area can carry the Tokaji name. The vineyards are situated between the Bodrog and Hernad rivers on the southern, south eastern and south western slopes of the Zemplen hills. The brown forest soils, formed on volcanic ash, produce wines with high acid and extract which mature slowly and which can be kept without deterioration for many years. The best vineyards are situated at 150-200m above seal level, avoiding the seasonal frosts on the lower slopes. The local climate promotes the formation of Botrytis Cinerea essential for the development of the raisin like “aszú” berries from two main local varietals, Furmint and Harslevelu.

Winemaking: Sweet Tokaji Aszú wines are made using winemaking techniques dating back to the 1630's. Legend has it that vineyards were left unharvested until late October due to the threat of Turkish invasion, whence the discovery of “Noble Rot” wines.  A base wine is made in September from the sound Furmint and Harslevelu grapes with high extract and acidity.  From mid October raisin-like, sugar rich Aszú grapes are hand-picked into 'puttony' tubs and are lightly crushed..  3,4, 5, or 6 'puttony' (25kg)  of Aszú grapes are then added per 136 litres of  base wine.    A 24-48 hour maceration ensues to extract sugars and flavour from the Aszú berries, followed by a gentle pressing and second fermentation in tank at 16-18OC which increases the alcohol by 1-2%.   The wine is then aged in small oak barrels (Gonci of 136L or Szeredugei of 220L) for a minimum of 4 years – the precise duration depending on the number of puttony and the vintage in question.   After bottling the aszú wine is aged for a further 9 months in bottle before sale.

Vintage: The 2002 Harvest: The 2002 harvest benefited from vigorous budding in mid-April and a hot, dry summer which helped to accelerate the ripening.