Mézes Mály, 6 Puttonyos, Tokaj — 2018
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Introduction
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WINERY Royal Tokaji was founded in 1990 by well-known author Hugh Johnson and a small group of investors who were inspired to restore and preserve Hungary’s precious wine legacy after the fall of Communism. Tokaji is the world’s original sweet white wine ― the “cult wine” of the 18th and 19th centuries ― and the Tokaj wine region was the first to have classified vineyards.
WINE In truly exceptional years Royal Tokaji selects the finest berries from its finest vineyards and carefully produces a few barrels of Single Vineyard Aszú.
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Vineyard Profile
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Mézes Mály is one of just two vineyards classified as a Great First Growth. Its volcanic bedrock is overlaid with deep loess soil, giving elegance, finesse and floral notes to its wines. Royal Tokaji owns 11 of its 19 hectares, facing south with views to the Great Plain in the distance.
- Appellation: Tokaj
- Location: Tokaj, Hungary
- Cultivation: Sustainable; Vegan
- Soil: Volcanic bedrock is overlaid with deep loess soil
- Exposure: South-facing exposure
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Vintage Report
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After a cold winter, temperatures rose rapidly in April and May, stimulating vigorous growth in the vines. Harvest was the earliest in living memory and probably the earliest ever, providing good volumes of healthy, ripe grapes with firm acidity and excellent quality. The warm, dry autumn was more conducive to drying the grapes than to botrytis, but nevertheless we managed to pick a very satisfactory amount of fine quality Aszú berries. Overall, a record-breaking and outstanding vintage, ripe, rich, and balanced.
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Vinification
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The excellent Aszú berries with good structure and perfect botrytis were macerated in fermenting must for two days. After pressing and finishing fermentation in barrel, the wines were filled into Hungarian oak casks in our extensive, deep underground cellars to mature for over two years. The final blends were carefully crafted in the spring of 2021.
- Aging: After pressing, the settled wines were filled into Hungarian oak casks in our extensive, deep underground cellars to mature for over two years
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Technical Information
- Varietal Composition: Furmint, Hárslevelű
- Alcohol: 11%
- TA: 6.9 g/L
- RS: 206.9 g/L
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Tasting Notes
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Floral notes on the nose with scents of flower fields and honey (Mézes Mály translates as “honey-place”). The palate shows typical elegance and depth with peach, pear and pineapple flavors leading to a long, delicate honey-filled finish.
- Serving Suggestions: Sip on its own as an aperitif, serve with fruit-based desserts or hard cheeses, or enjoy this mouth-watering wine on its own.
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Images
Reviews
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Mézes Mály, 6 Puttonyos, Tokaj — 2018 – Vinous – 97 Points
"The 2018 Tokaji Mézes Mály 6-Puttonyos, one of the Royal Tokaji Co's most revered single vineyards, has an entrancing bouquet with wild honey, marmalade, Lyle's Golden syrup scents that retain wonderful delineation and focus. The palate is quite brilliant. It leans a little towards Sauternes in style, especially in terms of weight and texture, yet without that cloak of new oak. This lends it openness and brightness. The 2018 offers an incredible purity of fruit, and it fans out gloriously on the finish. This comes highly recommended because Tokaji doesn't really get much better than this."
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Mézes Mály, 6 Puttonyos, Tokaj — 2018 – James Suckling – 97 Points
"A very elegant and balanced single-vineyard Tokaji from one of the two classified great first growths. The nose is incredibly complex, with aromas of quince jelly, tangerine peel, dried pineapple and hints of chamomile, linden, juniper berries and crushed stones. It’s balanced and long, with a medium to full body. I love the lightly astringent presence that fills the mouth, making it compact and textural yet keeping the wine delicate and silky through its long, caressing finish."
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Mézes Mály, 6 Puttonyos, Tokaj — 2018 – Wine Spectator – 96 Points
"This elegant dessert wine glides across the palate, with concentrated flavors of baked peach, banana flambé, vanilla-infused pastry cream and glazed tangerine layered tightly into the dense, plush texture. The racy acidity works in tandem with a streak of salinity to create a mouthwatering, balancing frame for the rich profile, while fragrant hints of dried mint, oyster shell and chai spices linger on the finish."
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Mézes Mály, 6 Puttonyos, Tokaj — 2018 – Wine Enthusiast – 98 Points
"Fresh white peaches, spiced and baked pears and lush fig compote convene on the nose of this knockout dessert wine from a prestigious Hungarian vineyard. The palate is creamy, concentrated and rich with honey and subtle floral notes, making it the perfect way to end a rich meal. Serve with a slight chill and share only with people you really, really like."