Château Dereszla Aszú 6 Puttonyos 2017

Château Dereszla works in Tokaj-Hegyalja in Hungary, the region often credited as the birthplace of botrytised sweet wine and the first to formalise a designation of origin. This Aszú is a blend of Furmint, Hárslevelű and Zéta, grown on the area's volcanic and loess soils. Tokaj's autumn mists off the Bodrog and Tisza rivers, followed by warm dry afternoons, encourage Botrytis cinerea to settle on the ripe bunches, drying the berries into shrivelled aszú grapes with concentrated sugar, acid and the marmalade and saffron character of noble rot. These hand-picked aszú berries are added to a base wine and left to macerate so their sugar and flavour soak in, the 6 puttonyos rating marking a high level of sweetness. The wine is then aged in oak, which adds a toasted, spiced edge and slow oxidative complexity. The colour is deep amber gold. The nose shows dried peach and apricot, honey, orange marmalade and a touch of brioche-like toasted bread. The palate is sweet and layered yet driven by the high acidity that is the signature of Tokaj, keeping the long finish bright. Serve chilled at around 10 degrees. It is a classic with fruit puddings and blue cheese.