Hello;
A friend of mine expressed a wish to taste the legendary Eszenszia (any
Hungarophones, please excuse my no doubt impossible spelling).
This wine is not currently on the Swedish Systembolaget (as far as I know),
but, on my regular auction site idealWine.com, ten bottles were offered for
bidding, with a hoped for price of c eu 55 (HALF BOTTLE).
Now, this means that they have, possibly, been produced by the Borkombinat -
not one of the most wildly applauded producers of all time. What could be
expected from this wine? Oxidization galore? Nectar?
Please tell the foreign gentleman.

Cheers

Nils Gustaf

--
Respond to nils dot lindgren at drchips dot se

This wine most likely was made by the state and selected by Disznoko
after they moved in. I am troubled by the price. A true Tokaji Eszencia
of high quality is likely to sell for much more than the estimated price
you quote. The price is more in line with Tokaji Aszu Eszencia. I have
seen mix-ups by wine companies that do not notice the slight difference
in name, but extreme difference in quality. So far as I know, the last
qreat traditional true Eszencia that was made and sold to the public was
the 1945. Some of the new wave companies are making Eszencia, but it
will take about 50 years before we know the true quality of some of this
new wave Tokaji. Even if the wine is Tokaji Aszu Essencia, this is a
very rich wine. I have not tasted the one you mentioned. I would expect
fruit, dry fruit, and a bit of caramel, Some wines from this era are
quite good although not as good as they could be. Just don't expect a
clone of Sauternes - the taste is qute different.

Reply to .

Nils Gustaf Lindgren wrote:

> Hello;
> A friend of mine expressed a wish to taste the legendary Eszenszia (any
> Hungarophones, please excuse my no doubt impossible spelling).
> This wine is not currently on the Swedish Systembolaget (as far as I know),
> but, on my regular auction site idealWine.com, ten bottles were offered for
> bidding, with a hoped for price of c eu 55 (HALF BOTTLE).
> Now, this means that they have, possibly, been produced by the Borkombinat -
> not one of the most wildly applauded producers of all time. What could be
> expected from this wine? Oxidization galore? Nectar?


Hi Nils,

Some time ago the Finnish Alko had the 1988 Disznökö Aszu Eszencia (SP?)
for sale at an outrageously low price (if memory serves me right, around
30 euros per 0,5 litre bottle) and I bought 6 bottles.

Anyway, it's about everything you could expect from a Borkombinat era
Tokaji, just more so (MUCH more so).

Very good, sweet (very), raisins and other dried fruit, with good
balanced finish and an incredibly long aftertaste. Oxidation, yes, but
really no more than in any of the other Tokajis of the time.

If you have the chance, I recommend trying it with vanilla ice cream and
cloudberry jam. Or just by itself; it's a really rich wine.

Cheers,

-Topi Kuusinen, Finland

PS: I briefly visited Stockholm last week and went to the Systembolaget
at Regeringsgatan. I envy you for the choice you have there. Despite the
propaganda of the Finnish monopoly, Alko, their wine assortment is very
predictable and highly uninteresting.

I was returning home from a motorcycle trip, so space was at a premium.
Otherwise I would have bought a couple of bottles of 2001 Geheimrat "J"
Riesling Spätlese Trocken (199 SEK, if I remember correctly), now I just
packed a couple of bottles of late '90s six putt Tokaji.

I certainly appreciate your thoughtful and knowledgable answer.
I know what a Tokaji Aszu is, and (I believe) I know what Eszenszia is - but
Aszu Eszenszia? Could you explain the term?

Nils Gustaf
--
Respond to nils dot lindgren at drchips dot se

I certainly appreciate your thoughtful and knowledgable answer.
I know what a Tokaji Aszu is, and (I believe) I know what Eszenszia is - but
Aszu Eszenszia? Could you explain the term?

Nils Gustaf
--
Respond to nils dot lindgren at drchips dot se

"Topi Kuusinen" > skrev i meddelandet
...
> Nils Gustaf Lindgren wrote:
>
>> Hello;
>> A friend of mine expressed a wish to taste the legendary Eszenszia (any
>> Hungarophones, please excuse my no doubt impossible spelling).
>> This wine is not currently on the Swedish Systembolaget (as far as I
>> know), but, on my regular auction site idealWine.com, ten bottles were
>> offered for bidding, with a hoped for price of c eu 55 (HALF BOTTLE).
>> Now, this means that they have, possibly, been produced by the
>> Borkombinat - not one of the most wildly applauded producers of all time.
>> What could be expected from this wine? Oxidization galore? Nectar?
>
>
> Hi Nils,
>
> Some time ago the Finnish Alko had the 1988 Disznökö Aszu Eszencia (SP?)
> for sale at an outrageously low price (if memory serves me right, around
> 30 euros per 0,5 litre bottle) and I bought 6 bottles.
>
> Anyway, it's about everything you could expect from a Borkombinat era
> Tokaji, just more so (MUCH more so).
>
> Very good, sweet (very), raisins and other dried fruit, with good balanced
> finish and an incredibly long aftertaste. Oxidation, yes, but really no
> more than in any of the other Tokajis of the time.
>
> If you have the chance, I recommend trying it with vanilla ice cream and
> cloudberry jam. Or just by itself; it's a really rich wine.


Excellent, Topi - I´ll make a bid for one or two bottles. Can´t afford it,
but, hey! you shouldn´t let a little thing like that stop you, what?

As for finding a good assortment in a Swedish Systembolaget, well, more
power to you for doing so.
Here, in the Southern outback, any wine of quality is picked up seconds
after it is released, with no chance of making supplementary orders. If the
Alko is worse ... <shudder>

Perhaps I am a bit spoilt. Used to be you could buy fairly old Rieslings, by
which I mean Wehlener Sonnenuhr 1982, or other really good stuff from the
80´s - really good in my idiosyncratic taste of course, but, I pays it, I
drinks it (with Xina, of course). Those days (2-3 years ago) are gone.
We are teaking bets now how long the Systembolaget will last ... trouble is,
what comes after may very well be worse ...

Cheers

Nils Gustaf