Essencia, Tokaj – 2009
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Introduction
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Essencia is the world’s most concentrated essence of its ripest grapes. Royal Tokaji has offered a few bottles of Essencia only six times in its twenty-six-year history.
Essencia is the fermented liquid gold that very slowly oozes from bins of individually hand-picked grapes raisined by botrytis. One skilled picker may harvest 5kgs of these grapes in one day. The juice slowly accumulates in the bottom of the vat by the gentle pressure of the grapes’ own weight and pours like rich honey. It is essentially the essence of the grape, and yeast has a near-hopeless task. From this rare liquid, the cellar master will select the very best to be bottled.
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Vineyard Profile
- Appellation: Tokaj
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Vintage Report
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The best description for the weather in 2009 is “extreme” and described as a vintage with two faces. Budding started perfectly with lovely sunny days and high temperatures, but we endured a serious drought by the middle of May. By mid- October the rain started and our brief window for picking closed, effectively ending a small but exceptional harvest.
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Vinification
- Aging: 5 years of cellar aging
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Technical Information
- Varietal Composition: Furmint, Hárslevelű, Yellow Muscat
- Production (in cases): 1,386 bottles (375ml)
- Alcohol: 1.8%
- TA: 11.8 g/L
- RS: 581.3 g/L
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Tasting Notes
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After a further 5 years of aging in our cellars, this Essencia has a deep gold color with hints of amber and a very thick texture. Complex fruitiness on the nose with hints of green tea and lots of figs and dates.
Rich and complex in the mouth with a creamy structure.Tastes of candied orange peel with dried red berries.An almost eternal finish with very good acidity.
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Images
Reviews
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Essencia, Tokaj – 2009 – Wine Spectator – 98 Points
"A rich, vibrant sweetie that drapes the palate in a lush swathe of steeped Earl Grey tea leaf, mango lassi and baked peach flavors, with accents of pain d'épices, grilled Macadamia nut, candied ginger, white pepper and masala spices. Lip-smacking acidity reins in this rich explosion of flavor and texture, with a pinpoint, graceful precision to the balance. Long and expressive."
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Essencia, Tokaj — 2009 – Vinous – 99 Points
"It has a surprisingly bashful nose for the first 12 hours. Whereas some burst from the glass, this chooses to unfurl and only as if toying with you, gradually reveals scents of fresh fig, Medjool dates, Seville orange marmalade and Clementines. I notice that the aromatics blossom on the second day as it deftly slips into fifth gear. The palate also meliorates, obviously unctuous and yet paradoxically weightless thanks to that acidity. Again, fig features prominently allied with marmalade, demerara and quince, more desiccated orange peel and syrup towards the harmonious finish."
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Essencia, Tokaj — 2009 – James Suckling – 99 Points
'“Wine does not get more concentrated, dense and viscous than this Tokaji Essencia, but alongside the unctuous sweetness, it also has extraordinary freshness. The fruit aromas range from blood to quince jelly, but there’s also a slew of spices and notes of flowers and forest honey. Although it barely has 2% alcohol, it is much more vinous than that figure suggests. Titanic brulee character at the huge finish.”
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Essencia, Tokaj — 2009 – Wine & Spirits – 98 Points
“First off, the texture is like nothing else in this world. The free-run juice of selected aszu berries, allowed to ferment with ambient yeasts to reach 1.8 abv, this is close to honey in texture, but not in any way cloying, just overpowering in its richness. Then the complexity of the flavors comes on, with floral apricot and fruity wild mushroom tones, “like being in the woods after rain,” as Corey Warren described it. Intense, complex, and lasting, this is crazy rich in its power and grace.”