Gold Label 6 Puttonyos, Tokaj — 2016
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Introduction
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Gold Label 6 puttonyos is the ultimate expression of its region and is the result of two separate selections. After harvest the very best juice from each vineyard is selected and vinified separately. After 2-3 years, sometimes more, barrels which most closely reflect their particular terroir are chosen for bottling as Single Vineyard aszú wines and the remainders are blended to produce Gold Label.
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Vineyard Profile
- Vineyards: Royal Tokaji’s 1st and 2nd Growth Vineyards
- Appellation: Tokaj, Hungary
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Vintage Report
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In 2016 the overall quality is very high with good ripeness and acidity, and volumes in line with long-term averages.
After a mild and dry winter, we had a long spring with warm days and cool nights. The flowering season was unusually long and there was an uneven fruit set in many vineyards due to some late spring frosts.
Throughout the summer, the weather was almost perfect. In July and August, the region was hit by hail, but there was no serious damage and overall we had a successful ripening season. From the middle of August, botrytis started to spread all over the region. We hand-harvested each intensely flavored aszú berry from the bunches on the vines. The aszú harvest required multiple passes through each block over many weeks!
The quality was exceptional in all our vineyards and we were able to produce our full range of aszú 1st and Great 1st Growths for the first time since 2008!
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Vinification
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These individually selected, hand-picked aszú berries with good structure and perfect botrytis were macerated in fermenting must for two days. After pressing and finishing fermentation, the wines were transferred into 300 and 500 liter Hungarian Zemplen oak casks in our 13th century underground cellars to mature for over two years. The final blends were carefully crafted in the spring of 2019.
- Bottled: Spring 2019
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Technical Information
- Varietal Composition: Furmint, Hárslevelű, and a small percent of indigenous grapes
- Alcohol: 11%
- TA: 10.9 g/L
- RS: 188 g/L
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Tasting Notes
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Rich intense nose with hints of apricot, orange peel and spice. Very fine and elegant, full- flavored and rich with citrus, peach and a firm backbone of crisp balancing acidity.
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Images
Reviews
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Royal Tokaji Gold Label, Tokaj — 2016 – Jancis Robinson – 17.5+
Bright gold. Sweet and honeyed on the nose, noticeably more youthful and primary than the Blue Label. Almost grapey with hints of raisin and dried apricot. Thick and rich on entry before cutting acidity cleans the palate and prevents any cloying nature. Massive concentration, full of fleshy, dried stone fruits and acacia honey. Great density and length, finishing with acid rather than sugar
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Royal Tokaji Gold Label, Tokaj — 2016 – Wine & Spirits – 94 Points
2016 Tokaji Gold Label 6 Puttonyos Botrytis came early to Tokaj in 2016, after a wet summer, allowing Royal Tokaji to bottle several Aszú wines. This one, a barrel selection of wines from the company's best vineyards, feels like satin on the palate. It's dense with residual sugar, yet it's not overwhelmingly sweet; Furmint's fiery spice reins in the honeyed fruit while floral and herbal notes add lift. There's a youthful tension as well, a prickle of energy that runs through the wine, promising that there's more to come with time in the bottle.
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Royal Tokaji Gold Label, Tokaj — 2016 – Vinous – 94 Points
The 2016 Gold Label Tokaji Aszú 6 Puttonyos, which delivers 188g/L residual sugar, is slightly more limpid in the glass than the Blue Label. The aromatics are also a serious and tangible step up, with much more Aszú character coming through: dried honey, a light adhesive aroma, orange pith and quince explode from the glass. The palate is ripe and viscous on the entry, then very fine acidity imparts great tension, particularly toward the finish. There is an underlying salinity at play that keeps the saliva flowing, yet unlike some botrytized dessert wines, this does not feel heavy or cloying in
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Royal Tokaji Gold Label, Tokaj — 2016 – Decanter – 93 Points
The 6 Puttonyos version displays more floral notes than the 5 Puttonyos sample; with more fresh apricot and citrus fruits on top of the waxy and honeyed undertone. The 188 g/l sugar gives the wine a luscious texture but by no means cloying – refreshing acidity (10.9 g/l) dances amongst dried apricot and layers of sweet spices, dried apricot and marmalade flavours, leading to a lingering finish. Similar to the [Red] Label, the Gold Label has been aged in 300-500 litre second or third use Hungarian barrels, but the grapes used are mainly from the producer’s own vineyards.”