Drink Tokaji Aszú before you die!
Why? This golden Hungarian wine balances extraordinary sweetness with electric acidity. It was once poured for kings, nearly flattened by Communism, and is now back among the world's great wines. If the label says 5 or 6 puttonyos, you are heading in the right direction.
Ten Second Summary
- What it is: Tokaji Aszú is Hungary's legendary sweet wine, made in Tokaj using individually selected grapes shrivelled by noble rot.
- Tastes like: Apricot, orange peel, marmalade, honey, saffron and spice, with luscious sweetness cut by vivid acidity.
- Puttonyos meaning: It was originally a measure of the aszú berries added to the wine. Today, 5 puttonyos means at least 120 g/L residual sugar and 6 puttonyos at least 150 g/L.
- Buying shortcut: Start with a 5 puttonyos Aszú from Disznókő, Royal Tokaji or Oremus. Choose 6 puttonyos if you want even greater concentration.
- Best with: Blue cheese, foie gras, fruit tarts and almond desserts—or drink a small glass on its own.
- When to drink: Good examples are delicious on release; great bottles can evolve for decades.
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| Tokaji Aszú 5 Puttonyos from Disznókő | © Disznókő |
What's on this page
1. Why drink Tokaji Aszú before you die?
Because great Tokaji performs a rather wonderful trick: it can be intensely sweet without tasting heavy. The sugar brings richness and concentration; the naturally high acidity—largely supplied by Furmint—keeps the wine bright, precise and dangerously easy to return to.
Then there are the flavours: dried apricot, orange marmalade, quince, honey, saffron, ginger and spice. With age, the best wines can gather layers of tea, tobacco, nuts and caramel while retaining their freshness. It is less like ordinary dessert wine and more like drinking liquid history.
Tokaji also offers something increasingly rare in fine wine: genuine greatness without necessarily requiring a second mortgage. A half-bottle from a leading producer can deliver a bucket-list experience for much less than many famous dry wines.
2. What is Tokaji Aszú?
Tokaj is the historic wine region in north-eastern Hungary; Tokaji means “from Tokaj.” The region makes dry, sparkling and several sweet styles, but Tokaji Aszú is the wine that made its name.
Aszú begins with ripe grapes transformed by Botrytis cinerea, or noble rot. Under the right conditions, the fungus makes the berries shrivel and lose water, concentrating their sugar, acidity and flavour. Pickers repeatedly pass through the vineyards, selecting suitable aszú berries one by one.
The berries are then macerated in fermenting must or base wine so their concentrated goodness can be extracted. After pressing and fermentation, the wine is matured in oak. Furmint is the region's most important grape, usually supported by Hárslevelű and sometimes Sárga Muskotály and other permitted varieties.
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| Hand-picking aszú berries in Tokaj | © Disznókő |
3. What does puttonyos mean?
Puttonyos is the traditional scale used to describe the sweetness and concentration of Tokaji Aszú. Historically, Aszú was labelled from 3 to 6 puttonyos: the higher the number, the more aszú berries were used and, generally, the richer and sweeter the finished wine.
The name comes from the puttony, a traditional container—rather like a basket or wooden tub—carried by grape pickers and used to collect individually selected aszú berries. As shown in the photograph below, these berries are shrivelled and concentrated, usually through the action of noble rot. A puttony traditionally held approximately 25 kilograms of fruit.
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| A traditional puttony filled with individually picked aszú berries | © Vino Amore |
Traditionally, the number of puttonyos of aszú berries added to a 136-litre Gönc cask of base wine or must determined the wine’s classification. Three containers produced a 3-puttonyos Aszú, four produced 4 puttonyos, and so on. The greater the quantity of concentrated aszú fruit added to the cask, the richer and sweeter the resulting wine was likely to be.
Over time, these categories came to be defined by minimum residual-sugar levels rather than by someone literally counting baskets. The traditional scale looked like this:
| Traditional label | Historical minimum residual sugar | What it traditionally indicated |
|---|---|---|
| 3 puttonyos* | 60 g/L | The lightest and least sweet level on the traditional Aszú scale. |
| 4 puttonyos* | 90 g/L | Sweeter and more concentrated than 3 puttonyos, but lighter than 5 or 6. |
| 5 puttonyos | 120 g/L | Rich and unmistakably sweet, but usually balanced by Tokaji’s high acidity. |
| 6 puttonyos | 150 g/L | The richest and most concentrated level on the traditional puttonyos scale. |
*Important: Since the 2013 vintage, 3 and 4 puttonyos have no longer represented separate lower-sugar categories under the modern Aszú rules. All Tokaji Aszú must now contain at least 120 g/L of residual sugar—the former minimum for 5 puttonyos. However, a lower puttonyos number may still be used to describe the traditional proportion of aszú berries used, provided the finished wine satisfies the modern requirements.
What does puttonyos mean today?
Under the modern rules, all Tokaji Aszú must contain at least 120 g/L of residual sugar. In other words, every modern Aszú must reach what was historically the minimum sweetness of a 5-puttonyos wine. The term 6 puttonyos may be used for wines containing at least 150 g/L.
Most producers therefore label their wines simply as Tokaji Aszú, 5 Puttonyos or 6 Puttonyos. Nevertheless, exceptions exist. When Oremus made its 2019 Aszú 3 Puttonyos, it used three approximately 25-kilogram containers of aszú berries for every 136-litre cask of must. This traditional ratio is what the “3 puttonyos” on the label describes. The finished wine contained 130 g/L of residual sugar, comfortably exceeding the modern Aszú minimum of 120 g/L.
This means that a recent wine labelled 3 Puttonyos should not be assumed to contain only 60 g/L of residual sugar. The number may describe the traditional proportion of aszú berries used rather than the wine’s position on the former sweetness scale.
Does modern Tokaji Aszú need a puttonyos number?
No. Some modern bottles are labelled simply Tokaji Aszú, without a puttonyos number. This does not indicate a lower-quality or less-sweet wine. From the 2013 vintage onward, every Tokaji Aszú must contain at least 120 g/L of residual sugar—the historical minimum for 5 puttonyos.
Producers may still use traditional puttonyos designations. A wine labelled 6 Puttonyos must contain at least 150 g/L of residual sugar, while many producers continue to identify their standard Aszú as 5 Puttonyos. Others may choose to put only “Tokaji Aszú” on the label.
Consequently, an unnumbered modern Aszú is at least equivalent to the former 5-puttonyos category in terms of minimum residual sugar. It should not automatically be described as either 5 or 6 puttonyos, however, because the absence of a number means the producer has chosen not to make that particular designation.
Should you choose 5 or 6 puttonyos?
If both are available, a 5-puttonyos Aszú is often the more affordable introduction, while 6 puttonyos generally indicates greater sweetness and may offer more concentration and intensity. But the number is not a quality score, and it should not be your only buying criterion.
Producer, vintage, acidity, vineyard selection and winemaking all influence the finished wine. Tokaji’s naturally high acidity can also make a wine containing enormous amounts of sugar taste remarkably fresh and balanced.
Is Eszencia the same as 7 puttonyos?
No. Tokaji Eszencia is a separate wine, not simply the next rung on the puttonyos ladder. It is made from the tiny amount of syrupy free-run juice released by aszú berries under their own weight. Its immense sugar concentration makes fermentation painfully slow and leaves very little alcohol. It is extraordinarily rare, remarkably long-lived and usually served by the spoonful—but you do not need Eszencia to understand the greatness of Tokaj.
My recommendation: look for a well-made Tokaji Aszú from one of the producers recommended below, whether the label says Aszú, 5 Puttonyos or 6 Puttonyos. You do not need to pay extra for 6 puttonyos to experience what makes Tokaji extraordinary.
4. From the wine of kings to Communist decline
Tokaj has an extraordinary viticultural history. A royal decree delimited its production area in 1737, and the region developed one of the world's earliest formal vineyard-classification traditions. Its sweet wines became prized at European courts and acquired the famous description Vinum Regum, Rex Vinorum—“wine of kings, king of wines.”
War, phylloxera and political upheaval all took their toll, but the Communist era was especially damaging. Production was centralised and quantity became more important than the character of individual vineyards or estates. Tokaji continued to exist, but much of its former identity and lustre was lost.
After the fall of Communism, local winemakers and new investors rebuilt vineyards, cellars and reputations. Estates such as Szepsy, Royal Tokaji, Disznókő and Oremus helped show the world what Tokaj could be again. In 2002, UNESCO inscribed the Tokaj Wine Region Historic Cultural Landscape on its World Heritage List.
Watch: Hugh Johnson on the revival of Tokaji
Wine writer Hugh Johnson was one of the co-founders of Royal Tokaji in 1990. In this short video, he discusses the revival of one of Hungary's greatest wine traditions.
5. Best Tokaji Aszú producers
Tokaji is strongly shaped by vintage and selection, so producer matters. The following six estates are all worth seeking out, but they suit slightly different buyers.
1) István Szepsy
István Szepsy is one of the defining figures of modern Tokaj. His family has deep roots in the region, and his obsessive work with vineyards, Furmint and Aszú helped set new standards after Communism. The wines are scarce, concentrated and expensive, but this is the name to look for when you want to see how far Tokaj can go.
Look for: Tokaji Aszú when you can find it; Szepsy's dry Furmints are also among the region's most important wines.
Find István Szepsy on Wine-Searcher
2) Royal Tokaji
Founded in 1990 with Hugh Johnson among its co-founders, Royal Tokaji played a prominent role in reconnecting Tokaj with the international fine-wine world. It offers both accessible multi-vineyard wines and more ambitious single-vineyard Aszú from celebrated sites such as Mézes Mály, Szt. Tamás, Betsek and Nyulászó.
Look for: the 5 Puttonyos Blue Label as a dependable starting point; move to a 6 Puttonyos or single-vineyard bottling if the bug bites.
Find Royal Tokaji on Wine-Searcher
3) Disznókő
Disznókő is a historic estate acquired by AXA Millésimes in 1992. Its wines are polished, precise and widely distributed by Tokaji standards. The 5 Puttonyos Aszú regularly combines generous apricot-and-marmalade richness with the acidity needed to keep everything lively.
Look for: Disznókő 5 Puttonyos—my safest recommendation for a first serious bottle.
Find Disznókő on Wine-Searcher
4) Oremus
Spain's Tempos Vega Sicilia acquired Oremus in 1993 and restored its vineyards and historic cellars. Its Aszú wines tend to combine richness with composure and precision, making Oremus one of the most reliable names in the region.
Look for: Oremus 5 Puttonyos for a superb introduction or 6 Puttonyos for greater intensity. Mandolás, incidentally, is the estate's dry Furmint—not an Aszú vineyard bottling.
5) Tokaj-Hétszőlő
Hétszőlő occupies a historic vineyard on the southern side of Tokaj Hill and farms organically. Its Aszú can be powerful and honeyed while retaining the freshness that prevents great Tokaji from becoming exhausting.
Look for: 5 Puttonyos for a characterful bottle from one of Tokaj's historic estates.
Find Tokaj-Hétszőlő on Wine-Searcher
6) Patricius
Patricius is a family-owned estate established during Tokaj's modern revival. It produces a broad range, from dry Furmint to late-harvest wine and Aszú. The wines can offer an appealing route into serious Tokaji without the scarcity or price of the most collectible names.
Look for: Patricius 5 Puttonyos when you want strong value from a respected producer.
Find Patricius on Wine-Searcher
6. Best Tokaji vintages and buying tips
Aszú depends on noble rot, and noble rot is a temperamental collaborator. The best conditions combine moisture that encourages botrytis with dry periods that allow the berries to shrivel cleanly. Vintage therefore matters—but a top producer's selection matters more than a simplistic score for the whole region.
Which Tokaji vintages should you look for?
2017 and 2013 are the standout recent Aszú vintages and the easiest great years to recommend. Both produced richly concentrated wines with the acidity and structure for long ageing. 2016 also yielded some excellent Aszú, while 2007, 2000, 1999 and 1993 are notable older years when bottles have been well stored.
Do not dismiss a bottle simply because its year is absent from that list. Botrytis can vary by vineyard and even by parcel, and the leading estates select berry by berry. When choosing between an average producer in a famous year and a trusted producer in a less celebrated one, I would usually buy the producer.
A simple Tokaji buying checklist
- Start with 5 puttonyos: it is usually the best balance of intensity, freshness, availability and price.
- Choose the producer before chasing age: Disznókő, Royal Tokaji and Oremus are dependable entry points.
- Expect a 500 mL bottle: this is normal for Aszú and still provides several small servings.
- Check provenance on old bottles: decades of poor storage can undo even the greatest vintage.
- Do not wait forever: good Aszú is enjoyable young. Cellaring adds complexity, but youth supplies glorious fruit and energy.
7. How to serve and drink Tokaji Aszú
Serve Tokaji Aszú lightly chilled rather than refrigerator-cold—roughly 10–12°C is a good starting point. Use a normal white-wine glass if you have one. A tiny dessert-wine glass may look traditional, but it does the aromas no favours.
Classic partners include foie gras, pâté, blue cheese, fruit tarts and nut-based pastries. The usual rule is that the wine should be at least as sweet as the dessert. Tokaji's acidity also makes it surprisingly good with spicy or aromatic savoury food.
My favourite pairing is simpler: no dessert at all. Pour a small glass after dinner and let the wine be the final course. Once opened, recork it and return it to the fridge. Its sugar and acidity make Aszú more resilient than an ordinary table wine, and a good bottle can remain enjoyable for weeks.
8. Frequently asked questions
What does puttonyos mean?
Puttonyos is the traditional Tokaji Aszú measure of sweetness and concentration. It originally referred to the number of hods of botrytised aszú berries added to a cask of base wine. Today, Aszú must contain at least 120 g/L residual sugar, while 6 puttonyos requires at least 150 g/L.
What is the difference between 5 and 6 puttonyos?
Five puttonyos contains at least 120 g/L residual sugar; 6 puttonyos contains at least 150 g/L. Six puttonyos is generally sweeter, richer and more concentrated, although acidity, producer and vintage strongly affect how sweet the wine tastes.
Is 5 or 6 puttonyos better?
Not automatically. Six puttonyos is more concentrated and usually more expensive, but a great 5 puttonyos can be fresher, easier to drink and better value. For your first bottle, I recommend 5 puttonyos from a leading producer.
Why is Tokaji Aszú so sweet?
Noble rot shrivels the grapes and removes water, concentrating their natural sugar, acidity and flavour. Fermentation stops while substantial grape sugar remains. The best wines taste balanced rather than cloying because Tokaj's grapes—especially Furmint—retain high acidity.
How do you pronounce Tokaji Aszú?
A useful English approximation is “toe-kye ah-zoo.” Tokaj is the place; Tokaji means “from Tokaj.”
What does Tokaji Aszú taste like?
Typical flavours include apricot, orange peel, marmalade, quince, honey, saffron, ginger and sweet spice. Mature examples may develop notes of tea, nuts, tobacco and caramel, balanced by vivid acidity.
How long does Tokaji Aszú last after opening?
Recorked and refrigerated, a good Aszú will usually remain enjoyable for several weeks. Its high sugar and acidity slow deterioration, although its freshest aromas will gradually fade.
What are the best Tokaji Aszú vintages?
For relatively recent bottles, 2017 and 2013 are standout years; 2016 also produced excellent wines. Notable older vintages include 2007, 2000, 1999 and 1993. Producer and storage history remain at least as important as the vintage.
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