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Auction archive: Lot number 467

Tokaji Essence--Vintage 1811

Auction 10.06.1999
10 Jun 1999
Estimate
£1,800 - £2,000
ca. US$2,872 - US$3,191
Price realised:
£9,680
ca. US$15,449
Auction archive: Lot number 467

Tokaji Essence--Vintage 1811

Auction 10.06.1999
10 Jun 1999
Estimate
£1,800 - £2,000
ca. US$2,872 - US$3,191
Price realised:
£9,680
ca. US$15,449
Beschreibung:

A SELECTION OF RARE TOKAY FROM THE NINETEENTH AND TWENTIETH CENTURIES FROM VARIOUS OWNERS Some twenty or so years ago, when we were asked if Christie's would be interested in organising a promotional sale for the wines of Tokay, I replied, as customary in those days: "why not"? It would add special interest to perhaps a run of the mill "Fine Wine" sale. I also recall my catalogue introduction, that Tokay was one of the unknown great classic wines of Europe. At that time the entire wine production was in the moribund control of the State. Hungary was behind the Iron Curtain. When I visited Tokay in the early 1970s I noticed that some of the traditional vineyard sites had been abandoned for the lower and more manageable slopes and there were irrigation pipes. Yet some lovely wines were still being made. But how things have changed! Tokay is once again becoming fashionable. The area is certainly attracting considerable outside investment, former aristocratic estates replanted and rejuvenated. Once the rare and famed tipple of the Polish court and the Czars of Russia, Tokay, now a more refined dessert wine, is finding its way on to Western markets. Once again, we are privileged to present a highly attractive range of inimitable Tokays. As the Americans say: enjoy! M.B. Tokay is undoubtedly the greatest classic wine region in Eastern Europe and equally undoubtedly the least well-known of all the great wines of the world. There is a good - and a less good reason - for this. First of all it has always been a remote area, situated as it is on the east side of Hungary only a short distance from th Russian border. Historically the best vineyards were owned by members of the Hungarian nobility who kept their finest wines for themselves and their East European peers. Tokay Essence was rarely exported and then only to the Royal Courts of Russia and Poland. It was hardly ever shipped to England although records of the wine being sold at Christie's date back to 1770. After the first world war and the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian Empire only small quantities were made. Through the enterprise of Berry Bros. & Rudd, stocks of very old Essence were unearthed and shipped to London but mainly sold for medicinal and restorative purposes. The first comprehensive post-war tasting of Hungarian wines was held at Christie's in 1970, and the first major auction of Tokay, also at Christie's, in 1985. The principal grape, and one peculiar to Hungary, is the Furmint. Harslevelu is also used and the Muskotaly, or Muscatelle. The following expressions are used: Szamorodni: Literally (in Polish) "as it grows", i.e. without the addition of putts or hods of sweet grape paste. Szaraz Szamorodni: A naturally dry wine. Typical strength of circa 14 Edes Szamorodni: A wine made with a higher proportion of Aszu grapes (see below). Asz: All aszu wines are made from late-picked (mid-November) over-ripe grapes with a natural growth of botrytis cinerea which is responsible for the finest Sauternes and German Trockenbeerenauslesen). After about seven days they are kneaded into a dough which is added to the fully fermented out wine made from grapes picked a month earlier. The fermentation takes place in a gonc (wooden cask of 135-140 litres) and the eventual degree of sweetness depends on the number of putts ( a "puttony" is a hod of 20-25 kilos) of asz dough added to the gonc. 2 puttonyos: Permitted but not marketed 3 puttonyos: Aged in wood for not less than 5 years. Medium sweet. 4 puttonyos: Minimum age in wood six years. Sweet. 5 puttonyos: A longer fermentation, and aged in wood at least seven years. Very rich and sweet. 6 puttonyos: Rare. Very rich. Equates to a feinste beerenauslese. Asz Esszencia: Equivalent to 7 or 8 puttonyos, but with the addition of a very small quantity of Esszencia. Esszencia: De-stalked selected botrytised grapes. During the initial six to eights days the pressure of the grapes squeezes out minute amount

Auction archive: Lot number 467
Auction:
Datum:
10 Jun 1999
Auction house:
Christie's
London, King Street
Beschreibung:

A SELECTION OF RARE TOKAY FROM THE NINETEENTH AND TWENTIETH CENTURIES FROM VARIOUS OWNERS Some twenty or so years ago, when we were asked if Christie's would be interested in organising a promotional sale for the wines of Tokay, I replied, as customary in those days: "why not"? It would add special interest to perhaps a run of the mill "Fine Wine" sale. I also recall my catalogue introduction, that Tokay was one of the unknown great classic wines of Europe. At that time the entire wine production was in the moribund control of the State. Hungary was behind the Iron Curtain. When I visited Tokay in the early 1970s I noticed that some of the traditional vineyard sites had been abandoned for the lower and more manageable slopes and there were irrigation pipes. Yet some lovely wines were still being made. But how things have changed! Tokay is once again becoming fashionable. The area is certainly attracting considerable outside investment, former aristocratic estates replanted and rejuvenated. Once the rare and famed tipple of the Polish court and the Czars of Russia, Tokay, now a more refined dessert wine, is finding its way on to Western markets. Once again, we are privileged to present a highly attractive range of inimitable Tokays. As the Americans say: enjoy! M.B. Tokay is undoubtedly the greatest classic wine region in Eastern Europe and equally undoubtedly the least well-known of all the great wines of the world. There is a good - and a less good reason - for this. First of all it has always been a remote area, situated as it is on the east side of Hungary only a short distance from th Russian border. Historically the best vineyards were owned by members of the Hungarian nobility who kept their finest wines for themselves and their East European peers. Tokay Essence was rarely exported and then only to the Royal Courts of Russia and Poland. It was hardly ever shipped to England although records of the wine being sold at Christie's date back to 1770. After the first world war and the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian Empire only small quantities were made. Through the enterprise of Berry Bros. & Rudd, stocks of very old Essence were unearthed and shipped to London but mainly sold for medicinal and restorative purposes. The first comprehensive post-war tasting of Hungarian wines was held at Christie's in 1970, and the first major auction of Tokay, also at Christie's, in 1985. The principal grape, and one peculiar to Hungary, is the Furmint. Harslevelu is also used and the Muskotaly, or Muscatelle. The following expressions are used: Szamorodni: Literally (in Polish) "as it grows", i.e. without the addition of putts or hods of sweet grape paste. Szaraz Szamorodni: A naturally dry wine. Typical strength of circa 14 Edes Szamorodni: A wine made with a higher proportion of Aszu grapes (see below). Asz: All aszu wines are made from late-picked (mid-November) over-ripe grapes with a natural growth of botrytis cinerea which is responsible for the finest Sauternes and German Trockenbeerenauslesen). After about seven days they are kneaded into a dough which is added to the fully fermented out wine made from grapes picked a month earlier. The fermentation takes place in a gonc (wooden cask of 135-140 litres) and the eventual degree of sweetness depends on the number of putts ( a "puttony" is a hod of 20-25 kilos) of asz dough added to the gonc. 2 puttonyos: Permitted but not marketed 3 puttonyos: Aged in wood for not less than 5 years. Medium sweet. 4 puttonyos: Minimum age in wood six years. Sweet. 5 puttonyos: A longer fermentation, and aged in wood at least seven years. Very rich and sweet. 6 puttonyos: Rare. Very rich. Equates to a feinste beerenauslese. Asz Esszencia: Equivalent to 7 or 8 puttonyos, but with the addition of a very small quantity of Esszencia. Esszencia: De-stalked selected botrytised grapes. During the initial six to eights days the pressure of the grapes squeezes out minute amount

Auction archive: Lot number 467
Auction:
Datum:
10 Jun 1999
Auction house:
Christie's
London, King Street
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