Tokaji 6 Puttonyos Aszú Lapis 2003 500ml

The memory of Tokaji is often firmly interwoven with images of royal courts and the prestige of the Habsburg monarchy. There are few wines that are so closely coupled with stately splendour. One could say that this wine is the "wine loved by kings and the king of all wines", a predicate attributed to Louis XIV. The Királyudvar winery, whose name literally translates as "royal court", was one of the first to supply the Hungarian court with the noble drops even earlier. In Tokaji's heyday from the 16th to the 18th century, Királyudvar wines were some of the world's most renowned.

The wine itself, a blend of 78% Furmint and 22% Hárslevelű, comes from the single site Lapis, which consists of volcanic soil, grey and brown clay and white ryolite tuff. Spontaneous fermentation takes place in Hungarian oak barrels of 500 litres, followed by 28 months of ageing in barrels of 2,250 litres. A 6 Puttonyos wine is produced by adding six vats of noble rotten berries of 22 kilos each to 136.5 litres of base wine. After maturing in oak barrels, a 6 Puttonyos is aged for at least another six years before being released on the market.

A glance into the glass reveals a dark amber. The olfactory world of this excellent 6-puttonyos wine opens up in a palette that ranges from caramel to baked apple, fresh and dried apricots, honey and malt to peach melba. It finishes in subtle oriental spices such as allspice, clove and cinnamon, complemented by nuances of incense, earthy and peaty notes, and ends in beeswax - this is what botrytis smells like in its noblest, purest form.

On the palate, the youthful wine is particularly creamy and balanced, rich and finely textured. Notes of nuts, honey, apricot and red apple mingle with floral and nutmeg notes, black tea and ripe lemon, to bergamot and fine acidity that still holds back a little. A Tokaji Aszú is a wine for the patient. This is undoubtedly an investment in an extremely profound and complex wine whose true greatness is yet to be seen. It may be beneficial to open it and let it breathe for a few days before drinking.

If you decide to pair the wine with a meal, the following might go well: A creamy foie gras, strong and slightly creamy blue cheeses such as Roquefort and Stilton or simply enjoy in a quiet atmosphere and with leisure, perhaps accompanied by a piece of fruit tart.