Why it matters
The producer
In 1990, author Hugh Johnson and a small investor group founded Royal Tokaji after the fall of Communism, with the aim of restoring and preserving Hungary’s wine legacy. The winery opened in Mád in 2010, designed by Hungarian architect Csaba Bodonyi.
Healthy grapes for dry wines are hand-harvested. About half of the clean must ferments in Hungarian oak barrels and half in stainless-steel tanks. Aszú berries are picked individually by hand, and the Aszú wines age in the cellar for at least two years.
Place and vineyards
Where the wines begin
Most of the estate’s vineyards lie in the Mád commune: Szt. Tamás, Nyulászó and Betsek are classified as First Growth vineyards, alongside Second Growth Birsalmás. Mézes Mály, classified as a Great First Growth, lies in the Tarcal commune.
The soils are mainly clay or loess over volcanic substrata. Vines are approximately 20 years old, and yields are kept to 10 hectolitres per hectare, or about one glass of wine per vine.
Wines to know
The range in view
The range runs from Dry Furmint through Late Harvest and single-vineyard Aszú to Essencia. Dry Furmint is varietal Furmint from estate and purchased vineyards, with floral, apple and pear aromas, ripe apricot and peach flavours, and a long, refreshing finish.
The 2023 Late Harvest blends Furmint, Hárslevelű and Sárgamuskotály. Partial bunch selection includes ripe, overripe and botrytised berries, and most of the wine ages in barrel for five to six months. White peach and honey lead into a silky texture, balanced acidity and a long, crisp finish.