Red Label, 5 Puttonyos, Tokaj – 2013
-
Introduction
-
Only 13 vintages of the Royal Tokaji Red Label 5 puttonyos have been produced since its premier release of the 1990 vintage. Since then, the Red Label has been made in 1991, 1993, 1995, 1996, 1999, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2013. This wine is a blend of carefully selected grapes from several of Royal Tokaji’s first and second growth vineyards.
-
-
Vineyard Profile
- Appellation: Tokaj, Hungary
-
Vintage Report
-
Winter was mild, and it was nice to walk outside in a t-shirt in the first half of March. However Mother Nature played a joke on us at the end of the month – we suddenly had 10-12 cm snow just a few days before Easter. Many of the other fruit orchards got severe frost but not the Tokaj vineyards as they are located along hillsides at quite high altitude. The rest of the spring was warm again.
Berry setting was not perfect because of the rain during blossoming but it did not reduce the crop dramatically. It was enough to avoid the need of a heavy green harvest. Early rains transitioned to drought, but the weather was miraculous after veraison started. We had ideal conditions for developing aszú berries (botrytis-affected grapes resulting in noble rot). The late summer hot, dry weather around Mád is one of the reasons that not a lot of single-vineyard aszú wines were made. However, their quality was excellent as evidenced by the grapes’ large berry size and their thin skin by the middle of July.
It had been several years since such a top vintage for botrytis/aszú, but it was well worth the wait. It is already obvious that 2013 is among top vintages for Royal Tokaji regarding the quality of both dry and sweet/aszú wines – only time will tell if 2013 proves to be one of the all-time great vintages.
-
-
Technical Information
- Varietal Composition: Furmint, Hárslevelű, Muscat
- Alcohol: 11%
- TA: 7.7 g/L
- RS: 162 g/L
-
Tasting Notes
-
A delightful nose of honey and peaches, delicate and graceful on the palate with traces of spice and citrus fruit. Very elegant and refreshing with a crisp, long finish, perfectly balanced.
-
Images
Reviews
-
Royal Tokaji Red Label, 5 Puttonyos, Tokaj – 2013 – Wine & Spirits – 93 Points
Puttonyos Royal Tokaji’s red label (known as blue label outside the US), is a blend of furmint with a little hárslevelu gathered from across the winery’s many vineyards. While it’s sweet (with 155.7 grams per liter of residual sugar), it feels brisk and fresh, the acidity channeling the wine’s marmalade notes and ripe nectarine flavors with clarity and lift. That breeziness belies the wine’s staying power: This is the sort of sweet wine that can
-
Red Label, 5 Puttonyos, Tokaj – 2013 – 96 points – Wine Enthusiast
“Straw colored with gold reflections, ... aromas of dried pear, fresh apricot and yellow peach. Flavors of fresh Bartlett pear, acacia honey and tinned apricots unfold on the palate. The finish is sweet, with just the right amount of acidity."
-
Red Label, 5 Puttonyos, Tokaj – 2013 – Decanter
"Complex wine bursting with mandarin, nectarine and poached peach flavours, refreshed by juicy acidity. Soft, complex, creamy and long - delicious!"