Tokaji definitely is among the killer dessert wines out there, and easily rivals Sauternes. That's the 2nd time since your 1st episode that I remember you having a BV wine on there. Maybe I'm wrong, but while I always viewed BV as being well known, I always viewed it as being well known the way boone's farm is well known, almost. A trockenbeerenauslese on this episode would have been nice to see. Maybe in the future you'll throw one on, a charbono or vin jaune episode would be really cool too.

oops last word was 38, this is 39 "of"

Love dessert wines.

I'd love to find some BV Muscat just to try :)

I have been wanting to try a Tojaki wine for a while now but I haven't wanted to spend the cash - maybe now I have more of any incentive. Food Episode.

Interesting point at the beginning of the episode - Sauterne was definitely what got me really excited about wine and I definitely consider it one of the best wines out there BY FAR.

I really do need to try some Tokaji, though!

Thanks for tasting these desert wines. I'm often hesitant to try them myself because of their cost. This really helped give me a better idea of what to look for and what to stay away from.

Love the Sauternes, GV. Still havent tried a Tojaji but really looking forward to it.

Just recently had a 6 puttanoyos Tokaji that blew me away and I am now officially ruined.....Even some of the amazing reisling icewines are unpalatable after such a wine.
Question - Where does the 2001 D'Yquem rank...better or worse that the 1990?

How does the Tokaji rank

Hi Gary!
I really liked your wine blog on dessert wines. Let me correct 2 things in your blog: the spelling of TOKAJ (name of the town and region) and TOKAJI (the wine of Tokaj region).
There is a difference between ASZÚESZENCIA (12-14% alc) and ESZENCIA (free-run juice, max. 2-3% alcohol)

best wishes!
Do a tasting on dry Tokaji FURMINTS too! :)
Roland

Need to get into dessert wines, but not ready to buy yet. I'll wait for the next dessert / sweet episode to add to my random case. $69.99 is too pricey for something I've never tasted but I will try a Tojaki SOON!

Agree with Sam Zen...The undiscovered stuff is the good stuff!

B

Great episode Gary. What about Loire Valley wines? I was this summer on a bike tour to some of this region wineyards and I advice everyone not to go by bike. Is risky! Thats because I cant spit all that good wine...

Hi, your tasting was interesting. And I agreed with most of what you said. One quibble.

I just came back from a wine tour of Tokaji, especially the Arvay winery, and they were careful to make a distinction between "Essencia" and "Aszuessencia." I had a taste of each and the contrast was striking.

The former is the free-run juice of botrytized grapes, and is so high in sugar content that it doesn't ferment readily; apparently it takes many years to turn into any sort of wine at all. (It tastes like somewhat runny jam without any noticeable alcohol content even two years after the harvest.)

The latter (and that was what you were drinking on the video) is a real wine, and the name merely denotes the grade above 6 puttonyos, with a higher Brix number than you need to claim a 6 by Hungarian law.

(Puttonyos, those baskets of a certain size that indicate what percentage of the grapes are nobly rotted, have been equated to a Brix number, percent of residual sugar per liter; they don't use the baskets any more except as decorations.)

Angelika Arvay, the chief winemaker's daughter, who was leading the tour, said that even experts in America don't seem to get the difference between Essencia and Aszuessencia, so I'm doing my best to publicize the distinction I just learned.

Thanks and best wishes,

David Richter

Nice episode. Speaking of Hungary, how about a segment on really undiscovered wine regions... like Eastern Europe/former soviet republics, eg. Moldova and Georgia. They have some nice wines, although I never had a nice one that was expoerted. While in Moldoiva I tried one of the best wines I ever had, made by an acquaintance in his basement. It was a white wine made from the varietal Lidia (although it's most commonly seen a red wine). Has anyone ever tried this varietal?

3 comments

1) To paraphrase a chef on Food TV, i think we need "smellavision" to appreciate the nose on some of these wines

2) Sauternes and lobster? Never thought of it-i'll try it (maybe with soft shell crabs too??)

3) I knew you wouldn't spit that Tokaji!!!!!

Maybe i'll make it in to the store one day soon when passing through NJ

Hugh

Who was that crazy guy at the draft selection? You might have pointed to your head to indicate it was a smart pick, but to pass on Leinart will come back to haunt the Jets for a long time. Both of their quarterbacks are so overated. You dont get the chance to get someone of his ability often. Bad Bad move!!!

Nice job again Gary! It is very nice to find a place on my computer where I can expand my knowledge of wine. And for your price on the Tojaki...very very nice!
It seems that we can't have an episode where people correct your speech and scores. I hate that you have to take away wine time to explain yourself. If people disagree with your score or the way you say "Haut" they need to keep it to themselves. This is about wine not French 101 or what some magazine has published as their method of scoring. Can't we all score our own way?
I use a 1-20 point scale as most of the wines I taste would range from the 80-96 point range in a magazine. Why use their numbers? My tasting journal is mine and I will share it with anyone but it is still my tasting journal.
You have always scored true to YOUR palate and have been honest in YOUR opinion.
Keep up the good work!
p.s. I'll fly up from GA for a WLTV fanatic's tasting!!!!!!!!!!

Hey Gary your always saying I wish you could be here to try this. How about you have some WLTV fans come in for a tasting sometime?

Hey great stuff. Love Sauternes. Agree with you 100% re. scoring. It should not be taken so seriously, and never without the comments. But that understood, scoring does make a fundamental difference in understanding how good the reviewer finds the wine to be.

Another great episode. We finally got to see you taste a truly vile wine! Your expression said way more than any words could.

I too would like to see you do segments on the grades of Rieslings and on ice wines. They're all fascinating.

But personally, I'm more interested in ports. I've had great ports and terrible ports (overall, California Zin ports are the worst, sad to say - grapey, flat, too sweet, zero complexity), and I'd love to hear your take on differences. I've been particularly surprised by some Penfolds ports, pretty decent efforts at a resonable price.

Please put port on your list of future episodes.

Sorry to nitpick... Hungary, not Hungry! What about "icewines"? are they dessert wines? how are they made?

I'm starting to watch my favorite episodes over and over again...I think I'm addicted.

With all this money I'm spending on wine now, I need another job... any room for a shelver at the library?

Gary,

Another great episode! I've had a Tojaki out at dinner one night and found it sublime, great to see it reviewed.

A few suggestions for future episodes: German Rieslings (Kabinett, Spatlese, Auslese, etc.), the Rhone Valley (beyond Chateaneuf Du Pape), the Loire Valley, Williamette Valley and the Piedmont region.

Peace