Béres Winery
Tokaj Region
Béres is a well-known family name in Hungary. Before getting into the wine business, Dr. Béres developed the “Béres drops” (Béres csepp), a popular multivitamin that has also made it to the “Hungaricum” list, a list which names the most important Hungary products. The Béres family founded their winery in 2003. They have 45 hectares of vineyards, and an average annual production of 100,000 bottles. Their winery and many of their vineyards (and a plum orchard, from which they make pálinka) are located in the picturesque village of Erdőbénye.
Tokaji Eszencia, 2008 (250 ml)
There are so many notable things about this Eszencia. Firstly, its caramel-colored appearance. It looks almost like maple syrup. Its thick, syrupy consistency is unlike any wine you’ve probably ever tasted. This Eszencia is made from 100 percent Furmint, harvested in October and November from the volcanic soil in the Lőcse, Omlas, and Diókút vineyards. It was fermented in oak and aged in tanks and oak barrels for six years before bottling. There is an astounding 550 grams per liter of residual sugar, and 18.5 grams per liter of acidity. The alcohol content is just 2.5 percent. On the first sip, the acidity hits you before the sweetness. There are so many delicious autumnal flavors and aromas going on in this wine. There are sweet notes of honey, dates, dried figs, and caramel. And lots of apple flavors—apple butter, apple cider, over-ripe apples, apple pie, and calvados. The finish is rich, long, and lingering. You’ll smell this wine in your glass the next morning. This wine is an experience to enjoy on its own.
Tokaji Aszú 6 puttonyos, 2008 (500 ml)
This wine is a blend of Furmint (70 percent) and Hárslevelű (30 percent) from volcanic soil in the Lőcse and Omlás vineyards. Vintage 2008 had an early spring, and enough rain to produce a good amount of botrytis and lots of Aszú berries. Grapes were harvested up until November 26th. The gorgeous dark golden-amber color of this wine is a promising sign of what is to come inside the bottle. This wine was fermented in oak barrels and aged in Hungarian oak barrels for 24 months (with an additional 12 months in the bottle before it was released). By now this wine is 15 years old, and is just beautiful. The nose is bold, with layers of aromas like caramel and honey, dried fruit (apricots, mango, and orange), and a bit of oak. This wine has 171 grams per liter of residual sugar and 11 grams per liter of acidity. But after taking a sip you’ll immediately notice the lively acidity and perfect balance (so much so that it seems to have almost a dry character). Aszú is known for its layers of complex flavors. This one has delicious tropical fruit notes (pineapple, mango, and papaya); orange flavors (dried orange zest and fresh orange); tobacco (from the oak aging); caramel and sweet chamomile tea. Alcohol is 11 percent, and the lingering finish has an intriguing bitter touch. You can enjoy this wine with a dessert that is not too sweet (something more fruity or nutty). But for us, this wine is the dessert. In Hungary the traditional pairing would be goose liver pate or blue cheese.
Tokaji Aszú 5 puttonyos, 2011 (500 ml)
This deep-gold colored Aszú is made from 100 percent Furmint grapes from the volcanic Lőcse, Omlás, and Diókút vineyards. Grapes were harvested in November, and 2011 was quite warm, resulting in grapes with high sugar content and very balanced and concentrated wines. This wine was fermented in oak and aged for 36 months in oak barrels. Béres’ affinity for longer barrel aging makes it noteworthy. Like all Aszú wines, be sure not to serve this wine too cold (or the nose and flavors will be muted). We recommend taking it out of the fridge 30-45 minutes or so before serving. This wine shows the cooler side of Tokaj (it is from the northern, cooler part of the region, from vineyards tucked into the forests and hills). It has a beautiful range of aromas—honey, warm baking spices, overripe apples, and medlars (which are plentiful in the hills surrounding Erdőbénye). It has a residual sugar content of 154.5 grams per liter, but its fresh acidity (11.3 grams per liter) makes this wine not even really about the sweetness. On the first sip you taste its acidity all over—lime, lime zest, and lemon—before the sweetness even hits. Additionally, there are a range of other flavors—candied fruits and dates, sweet iced tea and honey, toasted walnuts. Alcohol is 11 percent in this rich, elegant, and complex wine, with a very long finish. You can enjoy this wine with a dessert that is not too sweet (something more fruity or nutty). But for us, this wine is the dessert. In Hungary the traditional pairing would be goose liver pate or blue cheese.
Late-harvest Sárgamuskotály, 2013 (375 ml)
This is an unusual wine, a 100 percent Muscat Blanc (Sárgamuskotály) made from late-harvested grapes. Sárgamuskotály is one of the six white grape varieties planted in Tokaj, but it’s not so common to find single-varietal wines made with this grape. Tokaj’s volcanic soils, combined with its cool growing conditions, work very well for this grape, and help keep the acidity quite high and the characteristic floral and aromatic flavors intact. In Tokaj late-harvest wines are made with over-ripened grapes which do not necessarily have to include botrytized grapes. But this wine does, and the light botrytis characteristics makes it even more interesting. Grapes for this wine were harvested in the volcanic Diókút vineyard in November. It was fermented in tanks, and had a brief one-month aging stint in oak barrels. The residual sugar is an incredible 209 grams per liter (more than a 6 puttonyos Aszú), and acidity is 7 grams per liter. Alcohol is 11.5 percent. This is a very full-bodied sweet wine, but still has a nice balance. It has a light golden color, with a thick texture. The pure Muscat Blanc characteristics—fresh flowers, dried elderflowers, lavender syrup—are all here, and the flavor of elderflower (which blooms all over Tokaj in the spring) is long-lingering. There are also notes of fresh mango, raspberries, and apple juice, as well as a bit of spiciness from the oak aging (cardamom, cloves, and cinnamon). This is a lovely and unique wine, which would pair well with a cake or pie that is not overly sweet.