Royal Tokaji Company: 2018 New Releases

BY NEAL MARTIN | OCTOBER 23, 2024

Tokaji is one of the great wines of the world. It’s such a pity that sweet wines are out of fashion among today’s wine lovers because those Aszú berries conjure remarkable sweet wines (and, for that matter, dry too) that remain of great value. It wasn’t Yquem or German TBA that prompted Louis XIV to declare Tokaji “The Wine of Kings and the King of Wine”. Tokaji was the favorite tipple of Catherine the Great, Napoleon III, Beethoven, Goethe and, of course, wine writer Hugh Johnson. Johnson, together with winemaker Istvan Szepsy and 63 local growers, established the Royal Tokaji Company in 1989, which became the catalyst for a widespread revival. I was fortunate to visit their winery in the town of Mád a few years ago, a fascinating venture that I hope to repeat one day. Royal Tokaji recently dispatched their newly released 2018 vintages to the UK. Head winemaker Zoltan Kovács hails them as a “Royal Flush” because, for the first time since 2006, he has been able to make a 6-Puttonyos from all their single vineyards. So, I was eager to see whether the wines matched expectations.

The 2018 Growing Season

The region enjoyed a hot summer with temperatures frequently exceeding 35 ̊C that predicated the earliest harvest ever recorded. Light showers between August and October resulted in a record quantity of Aszú berries. However, overall, 2018 is a small harvest, which finished on November 14. A higher proportion of new oak (40%) was used for this vintage, and the wines were matured for two years before bottling in June 2021.

Tasting through these wines I can see why Kovács is so excited by the 2018 vintage. The standout is clear. The 2018 Tokaji Mézes Mály 6-Puttonyos encapsulates everything that is great about contemporary Tokaji and is one of the finest Tokaji wines I have ever tasted. God invented wine so He could drink wines like this. On the other hand, I must be honest; I could not fathom the Tokaji Nyulászó 6-Puttonyos, which sported an incongruous peppermint element that would not dislodge with aeration. Between those two, Kovács has overseen some wonderful Tokaji wines that I thoroughly recommend.

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