Royal Tokaji Red Label 5 Puttonyos Aszu Hungary Vintage Varies – 500 ml bottle

Prized for its layers of heady aromas and balanced intensity Tokaji Asz is one of the most compelling beverages made today. Production leads back to the 17th Century with many of the winemaking practices virtually unchanged. Royal Tokaji s Red Label sits at 5 Puttonyos its measurement of sweetness and concentration putting it at the lighter end for the style. That said you can still expect luscious sweetness and abundant aromas and flavors. The Puttonyos measurement system denotes the number of baskets of grapes that goes into producing the wine – the higher the number the more concentrated the wine. Each grape berry is carefully checked for botrytis a strain of rot that allows evaporation of water content and imparts trademark notes of ginger saffron and beeswax. The Red Label bottling gives aromas of dried pear honeyed apricot honeysuckle and ripe yellow peach with a thread of saffron running through. The palate while concentrated and luscious is balanced with lift and acidity. Its finish rolls on transitioning from dried and fresh stone fruits to a nutty dried ginger savor. Its sweetness makes it a perfect pairing alongside chocolate desserts and rich salty cheeses and its persistent acidity also makes it a decadent choice alongside foie gras.