Birsalmas Aszu 5 Puttonyos 1995 Tasting Notes

1995 Vineyard Profile

The Birsalmás vineyard, which is situated on an East facing slope up and above the Royal Tokaji cellars in Mád, is tiny. It is in the “suburbs” of the town, and because of the relative beauty of the spot, it has become “smart” to build there. The Royal Tokaji parcel is only about 0.4 Ha and is surrounded by two similar sized parcels. About four more hectares are planted, and most of these are now part of a garden. Most of the grapes have to be bought from the garden owners and neighbours! Birsalmás, which means quince in Hungarian, is a 2nd Growth in the 1700 classification and it lives up to its name very well. The vineyard is about 5 years old, and is dominated by Hárslevelü, which gives it a lot of its charm and flavours. The 1995 vintage, which mostly produced the fruits of a long warm summer with a disappointing rainy end, made the customary elegant light wine at Birsalmás.

1995 Winemaker Notes

The skill and traditions of producing Aszu wines have changed little since the 17th Century. Hand picked Aszu berries are macerated with top quality base wines. The resultant Aszu wines mature at different sweetness levels, generally 4,5 or 6 puttonyos. Careful pruning in the 1st and 2nd Growth vineyards amongst their 80 hectares, hand picking and maturation for a minimum of 3 years in Gönci casks in 13th century cellars, ensure these rich, refreshing wines are produced to the highest quality.

1995 Tasting Notes

With a sugar of 156 g/l and acidity of 11.9 g/l it is naturally balanced. The base wine came mainly from Muscat berries, and the very slow fermentation, which took nearly three years to complete in the underground cellars, shows great harmony. The quince is a key element in Birsalmás, where it usually finds its way into the middle of the palate. The 1995 is no exception, and once again it is the favourite of the winemakers in Mád.

Tokaji Aszú wines have always been appreciated served on their own as a celebration drink.
Today chefs all over the world are being challenged by this re-born classic wine and some favourite accompaniments are Foie Gras, fruit tarts, chocolate and Blue Cheese. Royal Tokaji wines are also enjoyed with cigars.

1995 Technical Information