The 2013 Tokaji Betsek 6-Puttonyos has a complex, winsome bouquet of yellow plum, mirabelle and a touch of lemon curd. The well-balanced palate is very pure in the mouth, offering a viscous entry and a fine bead of acidity. It has a more cohesion than the Nyulászó, and the finish is elegant and poised. I cannot explain why but there is something almost South African on the finish, perhaps a (very) distant echo of a Mullineux straw wine! Tasted at the Royal Tokaji Company tasting in London.

Royal Tokaji released a string of exceptional wines from 2013, including this Tokaji Aszú, from a vineyard south of Mád on black volcanic soils. The season owes its success to a wet winter followed by a warm, dry summer. Then a cold snap in September helped preserve acidity in the fruit: Although the residual sugar clocks in at 182.8 grams per liter, and acidity sends the wine’s rich, sweet flavors soaring into a heady cloud of flavor, buzzing wi