1993 - Tokaj Aszu 6 Puttonyos, Disznoko

The 1993 Tokaji Aszu 6-Puttonyos is a blend of 60% Furmint, 30% Harslevelu and 10% Zeta, the aszu added to the fermenting must and macerated for 60 hours before aging for three years in barrel. It has a deep amber color with a green tinge on the rim. The bouquet is very powerful, with marmalade, dried apricot, allspice, touches of wild mushroom and caramelized pear. The palate is medium-bodied with a viscous opening. Well-balanced with very fine acidity, it remains youthful and very harmonious with a complex finish offering notes of marmalade, dried quince and a touch of truffle. Divine. Drink now-2035+. Disznoko became part of French insurance giant AXA Millesime’s portfolio in 1992, though the name existed prior to Soviet occupation, not as a winery estate but as the site of a First Growth as recorded in 1732 (think of it being similar to a French lieu-dit.) Director Lazlo Meszaros has been at the helm here since 1995, Seely providing what you might describe as a “guiding hand” and advice during the harvest and blending. The three-tiered winery located just outside the town of Mad is relatively large in scale for the region, perhaps seen as a statement of intent when AXA-Millesimes branched out into Tokaj. Its aging cellar is carved out of the rock below the winery some 10 metres below the ground, accommodating their French and Hungarian 225-liter oak barrels, of which approximately one-third are new. They cultivate 105 hectares of vine in a single L-shaped block above the winery. Only estate-grown fruit is used, the vines comprising of 60% Furmint, 30% Harslevelu, 9% Zeta and 1% Yellow Muscat. In terms of their approach, I would refer you to Lazlo’s comments in the introduction to this piece, where he offers interesting perspectives toward botrytis formation and aszu blending. Needless to say, this was a strong set of Tokaji wines. Lazlo made it clear that while they acknowledge the proliferation of dry wines, Disznoko is and always will be focused upon swee