Last week Budapest wine bar Carpe Diem invited István Balassa to hold a vertical tasting of his top dry Tokaji wine called Villő, and also to present his exciting new project: a bunch of single vineyard sweet Szamorodnis from the vintage 2017 (soon to be available at Bortársaság). István is one of the top producers in Tokaj and I have not tasted his wines for years so I could not miss this great opportunity.

The dry Furmints turned out to be quite age-worthy, and surprisingly I was less happy with the Szamorodnis. However, the wine I’d like to talk about now is the Tokaji Aszú. This 2009 was sensational on this evening, easily stealing the show.

Tokaji Aszú can be elegant, but it’s main assets are power and endless depth. This is a top example in its prime, pure hedonism. So complex, you could spend hours with just smelling it and finding new nuances. Pears and honey, a touch of clove; then orange marmalade and every imaginable fruit that is yellow or orange in color. The first notes of maturity lend it some elegance and restraint, though it’s still a big wine. Great balance, its crisp acidity is integrated nicely into the huge sweetness, it’s neither sharp or cloying. Despite the power, it feels unforced. Amazing wine, world-class without a question. 94 points, ready to drink now, probably best in the coming 5 years, and might keep for decades.