Hungarian wine among 50 Best in Show at Decanter World Wine Awards contest
A sweet “6 puttonyos aszú” Hungarian wine made in 2019 by the Gizella winery in the Tokaj region has been selected to be among the 50 Best in Show wines at this year’s Decanter World Wine Awards (DWWA), one of the world’s most prestigious wine and champagne contests, the Kreinbacher Estate said on Thursday.
The 21st DWWA contest with 18,000 entries submitted from 57 countries was evaluated by 250 judges in London, including 61 Masters of Wine and 20 Master Sommeliers, Kreinbacher, which won two gold medals, said. Other Hungarian wine have won 4 platinum, 13 gold, 56 silver and 67 bronze medals. The 50 wines of the Best in Show must first win a gold and then a platinum medal to enter the “top of the top” category.
For the first time, a Tokaji Aszú has been included among the world’s top 50 wines
At the Decanter World Wine Awards 2024, the world’s largest and most prestigious international wine competition, the 2019 6 Puttonyos Aszú from Gizella Pince in Tokaji was selected among the top fifty wines in the world. The international jury of renowned experts awarded it XX points.
This year, 18,143 wines were entered in what is considered the pinnacle of wine competitions. The scoring is very strict, with gold medals awarded only for scores above 95 points, and platinum for scores above 97 points. At the end of the competition, the most distinguished experts re-taste the wines that received platinum ratings to select the 50 best wines, which can carry the title “Best in Show.”
“We were just recently looking at videos from the 2019 harvest, where even the kids helped process the aszú berries. The cooperation of our family, now five years later, has truly gained meaning with this recognition. We sincerely hope this award will draw attention to Tokaji Aszú. To the best of my knowledge, this is the first Aszú to receive the Best in Show title. It is a great acknowledgement for us,” explains László Szilágyi.
Gizella Pince is a family winery that László Szilágyi took over from his grandparents and parents in 2005, expanding the originally 1-hectare estate to 20 hectares today. They have previously entered the DWWA competition; last year, for instance, their 2019 sweet Szamorodni wine received a platinum rating. This also shows that the 2019 vintage was outstanding in Hegyalja, as the Aszú selected among the world’s top 50 wines was also produced that year.
Tokaji Aszú unique
Tokaji Aszú is unique in several aspects. Firstly, the diverse volcanic soil, secondly, the unique climate, and thirdly, the unique grape varieties, along with the centuries-old expertise of Tokaj winemakers, are all necessary for its creation. Due to these various conditions, it often happens that not every vintage can produce an outstanding Aszú.
Additionally, Tokaji Aszú is the world’s most meticulously produced wine, as the aszú berries are hand-picked individually, often returning to each cluster multiple times. The berries are soaked in base wine for 1-2 days to extract their sugar content, then, after pressing and fermentation, the wine is aged in barrels for a minimum of 18 months.
The award-winning Gizella Aszú was produced in very limited quantities, with only 1,115 bottles resting in the cellar. The winemaker believes that the specialty will primarily attract haute cuisine. Beside its high sugar content, the wine has beautiful acidity, providing an exceptionally exciting tasting experience. This experience can be elevated with the right food pairings, such as foie gras, blue cheeses, and rich in taste desserts like crème brûlée.