Description
Royal Tokaji Winery was founded in 1990 by a small group of investors, including Hugh Johnson (one of the UK’s top wine writers) and 62 small local wine growers. A statue of Johnson sits in the winery’s courtyard. This was one of the first new wineries to arrive in the region after Communism ended, and foreign investors began to re-discover the potential of this almost forgotten region. The winery is housed on Mád’s main street, in a stately old house which once belonged to the Zimmermanns, a prominent Jewish wine family. In Tokaj, this cooperation between east and west resulted in wines which became cleaner, and better understandable dessert wines. Importantly, the wines continued to respect the region’s deep traditions and the more than 500-year history of Tokaji Aszú. This is an outstanding wine, with aromas of apricot, honey, orange peels, and spices. Its natural luscious sweetness is perfectly balanced by an uplifting fresh acidity, which is the result of Furmint and Hárslevelű grapes being grown on volcanic soil, combined with hot summers and muggy autumns, and with a long barrel aging in deep, cool, mould-covered cellars. This is a brilliant example classic Tokaji Aszú.
