“The 2008 Tokaji Aszu Betsek 6-Puttonyos is another fabulous 2008 to add to the Royal Tokaji Company’s roster. The nose is as clean as a whistle: beautifully delineated with candied orange peel, honeysuckle and resinous scents, the latter becoming more accentuated with about 20 minutes aeration. The palate is underpinned by the razor-sharp acidity that lends this Tokaji so much freshness and vitality. It is a feisty little thing like the 2007, but the 2008 displays even better control and focus. The tangy marmalade-infused finish rivets you to the spot, and those spicy white pepper notes just add another level to an already superb Tokaji. Throw out the Sauternes! This brilliant Tokaji will last decades, not years.

“I would love to have been a witness to Hugh Johnson’s rally cry in the town hall of Mad, a behest that the historical wines of Tokaji should not be forgotten, a catalyst for the resurrection of the Royal Tokaji Company. I must confess that the winery was larger than I had presupposed. Perhaps I have been so bewitched by their aszu wines that I had not paid enough attention to the success of their entry-level dry Furmints. One only needs to look at their advertising campaign or even their permanent booth stationed in Budapest Airport to understand why Royal Tokaji Company is not just for connoisseurs seeking single-vineyard wines, but also caters to those making their first foray into the region’s wines. Of the estate’s 107 hectares of vineyard, around half of that area was designated first growth in the 1737 classification, including Nyulaszo, Szent Tamas, and Betsek in Mad and Mezes Maly in Tarcal… It goes without saying that the wines of the Royal Tokaji Company form an ideal entry to the delights of Tokaji, both for connoisseurs and the uninitiated.The Escenzias are some of the finest Tokaji has to offer, up there with Pajzos and Disznok?, and are destined to outlive all of us.”