ROYAL OVERVIEW TOKAJI’S ROYAL CONNECTION AND RENAISSANCE The first Tokaji aszú was created in the 1600s perhaps by accident — a delayed by threat of enemy invasion. In 1700, became the first European region to have its classified — its uniquely varied and climates rated “primae classis, secundae classis, tertius classis,” or “first growth, second growth, third growth,” by Prince Rakoczi II of . This classification system is still used in today.

Quality production ended with the Communist Party takeover of Hungarian . Aszú grapes were used for mass production in factories, with distinctions lost in giant tanks. Tokaj’s renaissance began after the collapse of communism with the establishment of Royal Tokaji in 1990 by well- known author Hugh Johnson and a small group of investors, who were inspired to restore and preserve Hungary’s precious wine legacy.

THE TOKAJ REGION Situated along the southern slopes of the Zemplén Mountains, Tokaj is characterized by late springs and short growing seasons. The average temperatures are generally cool, with long, sunny summers and dry autumns. Tokaj’s soil is largely clay or loess with a volcanic substratum.

The meeting of the and rivers in Tokaj creates a mist similar to that of the fog in . The mist encourages “,” or “,” which dries and shrivels the grapes that comprise Tokaji , and concentrates the sugars. Grapes that are infected with botrytis are commonly referred to by the Hungarian term aszú.

GRAPE VARIETIES By law, only white grape varieties are allowed to be planted in Tokaj. There are three primary grapes grown here and used by Royal Tokaji: (FOOR-mint): 70 percent of the region’s plantings; high levels of tartaric acid, thin skin susceptible to botrytis Hárslevelú (HARSH-leh-veh-LOO): 20 percent of the plantings; less susceptible to botrytis, but rich in sugar and aromas; “Hárslevelü” translates to “linden leaf ” Muscat de Lunel: 10 percent of the plantings; the most difficult grape to grow, but an important blending grape

PEDIGREE VINEYARDS Royal Tokaji owns a unique combination of first- and second-growth vineyards that have always been privately owned, including one of the two great first growths: Mézes Mály. At one time, first-growth vineyards Betsek and Szt. Tamás were owned by Prince Rakoczi I. His vineyards were sold in the late 1660s to save the prince, who was involved in a conspiracy that would have otherwise cost him his life. His son, Prince Rakoczi II, was able to buy back the prized land in the 1700s. Three centuries later, these vineyards continue to be highly valued.

THE Royal Tokaji’s winery is located on the main square in the village of Mád, about 240 kilometers (150 miles) northeast of in the . In honor of ROYAL TOKAJI OVERVIEW

Royal Tokaji’s 20th anniversary, the winery was renovated entirely. Designed by the leading Hungarian architect Csaba Bodonyi, it accommodates more than 1,000 barrels for aging and has a stainless-steel tank capacity of 2,700 hectoliters (71,325 gallons). It has already been acclaimed as the most important in the Tokaji region due to its earth-friendly contributions, which range from a green roof to solar panels.

THE WINES Royal Tokaji produces several exceptional wines, including: Furmint: 100 percent Furmint; a dry, Mád Cuvée: Late harvest Red Label: Second growth, 5 puttonyos Betsek (bet-CHEK): Single vineyard, first growth, 6 puttonyos Szt. Tamás (SENT tahm-ash): Single vineyard, first growth, 6 puttonyos Mézes Mály (MAIZE-esh my): Single vineyard, great first growth, 6 puttonyos Essencia

VINIFICATION The methods and traditions of producing Tokaji wines have changed little since the 17th century when aszú berries were individually harvested from bunches and collected in 20-liter (55-pound) wooden tubs called puttonyos or hods. The number of puttonyos added to each barrel of base wine made from grapes unaffected by botrytis determined the puttonyos level of the wine. On a scale of one to six, the more puttonyos the sweeter, richer and rarer the Tokaji. Today, a wine’s puttonyos level is determined by the amount of residual sugar in the finished wine, thus the key factor in the production of Tokaji aszú wines is the proportion of aszú berries to base wine.

The berries are crushed once they arrive at the winery, and the syrupy aszú paste is added to the current ’s base wine. After the mixture is stirred repeatedly for two-plus days to extract the natural sugars and aromas of the paste, it is added to gönci (140-liter or 37-gallon barrels) and stored in Royal Tokaji’s 13th-century cellars where a second fermentation takes place — a result of the addition of the paste and one that can take several months to years, due to cold cellar temperatures and the high sugar content of the wine. Legally, Tokaji aszú wines must be aged for a minimum of three years prior to release; Royal Tokaji’s wines are usually aged for a longer period of time, including some time in old oak — to truly express the of each vineyard and allow the elegance of the fruit to shine through.

SERVING SUGGESTIONS Royal Tokaji’s aszú wines are wonderful on their own as an apéritif or digestif, with cigars and petits fours. Given their bright acidity, these wines also pair well with a wide variety of foods, including foie gras, fruit tarts, chocolate desserts and a variety of cheeses. Serve slightly chilled at 12 to 15 degrees Celsius (54 to 59 degrees Fahrenheit) in a small port glass or a glass of similar size. ROYAL TOKAJI VINIFICATION

The methods and traditions of producing Tokaji wines have changed little since the 17th century when aszú berries — grapes that are infected with “botrytis cinerea,” or “noble rot,” which dries and shrivels the grapes and concentrates the sugars — were individually harvested from bunches and collected in 20-liter (55-pound) wooden tubs called puttonyos or hods. The number of puttonyos added to each barrel of base wine made from grapes unaffected by botrytis determined the puttonyos level of the wine. On a scale of one to six, the more puttonyos the sweeter, richer and rarer the Tokaji. The process remains much the same today, minus the clumsy, heavy hods.

TOKAJI ASZÚ WINES The berries are crushed once they arrive at the winery, and the syrupy aszú paste is added to the current vintage’s base wine which has already been fermented in stainless steel for approximately three weeks. After the mixture is stirred repeatedly for two or more days to extract the natural sugars and aromas of the paste, it is added to gönci (140-liter or 37-gallon barrels, named after the village of Gönc, known for its barrel-making) and stored in Royal Tokaji’s 13th-century cellars, originally dug out in defense against Turkish invaders. Here, along the moss- and mold-covered walls, is where a second fermentation takes place — a result of the addition of the aszú paste and one that can take several months to several years, due to the cold cellar temperatures and the high sugar content of the wine. Legally, Tokaji aszú wines must be aged for a minimum of three years prior to release; Royal Tokaji’s wines are usually aged for a longer period of time, including some time in old oak — to truly express the terroir of each vineyard and allow the elegance of the fruit to shine through.

ESSENCIA Essencia is produced using only the free-run juice that slowly oozes from aszú berries that are waiting to be crushed — no base wine is added. This juice that accumulates at the bottom of a vat by the gentle pressure of the grapes’ own weight is sticky and pours like rich honey. Because sugar levels can be as high as 85 percent, the juice ferments extremely slowly; it took the 2007 Essencia seven years in Royal Tokaji’s cellars to reach only 1.65 percent alcohol.

MEASURING SWEETNESS Today, a wine’s puttonyos level is determined by the amount of residual sugar in the finished wine, thus the key factor in the production of Tokaji aszú wines is the proportion of aszú berries to base wine. Below is a chart outlining the sugar levels and percentage of aszú in Tokaji aszú wines.

Minimum Residual Sugar Levels Percentage of Aszú Wine in Blends Tokaji Aszú Wines: 5 puttonyos: 60% 3 puttonyos: 60g/L 6 puttonyos: 70% 4 puttonyos: 90g/L 5 puttonyos: 120g/L 6 puttonyos: 150g/L Essencia: 450g/L • succeed. to conditionsrot dry noble warm, for requires development berry aszú grapes, the infects botrytis After • common true inTokaj,quite is Whilebotrytis sugars. the andconcentrates grapes the dries rot conditions. right Noble the under rot” “noble whichto leadcinerea,” may “botrytis development the encourages Themist inSauternes. fog the similar mist to a Tisza andin BodrogTokajrivers creates the of Themeeting owned. privately been always haveMály) Mézes growth, the Tokajwas Each berry is hand-pickedisbunch the Each vineberry the on off 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 1999 1998 1997 1996 1995 1994 1993 1992 1991 1990 Royal Tokaji Historical Review of Aszú Harvests of RoyalTokajiHistorical Review

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Royal Tokaji’s Aszú wines are determined vintage by vintage. Since its establishment in 1989, Royal Tokaji has thus far produced Aszú wine in 17 of its 26-year history.

1990: Royal Tokaji’s first vintage — a small, but classic vintage.

1991: Very good quality wines that are just beginning to open up

1992: Royal Tokaji produced wine only from its Betsek vineyard.

1993: Outstanding — one of the best years in memory. This first truly great vintage marked the renaissance of Tokaji wines.

1995: Very good quality wines, particularly single-vineyard wines

1996: A classic year with good quality wines

1999: Outstanding — rivaling the 1993 vintage. The extraordinary acidity levels guarantee wines with great longevity.

2000: Outstanding — great richness and balance. High sugar levels produced very accessible wines.

2003: Outstanding — combining the best of the 1999 and 2000 vintages. Quality rather than quantity defined this vintage.

2005: Very good quality wines

2006: Royal Tokaji made only 5-puttonyos wines.

2007: Great vintage; enough quality and quantity for single-vineyard wines

2008: Miraculous vintage. Royal Tokaji will most likely produce single-vineyard wines.

2009: Difficult vintage; fortunately, Royal Tokaji picked before the rains. Mézes Mály was the only single-vineyard wine produced.

2011: Again, a complicated vintage, however, Royal Tokaji produced a very small, but superb, 6-puttonyos blend.

2013: An outstanding, and long-awaited aszú harvest.

2015: Royal Tokaji made only 5-puttonyos wines. TOKAJI THROUGH THE AGES

Tokaji aszú wine was the world’s first great sweet wine, created in the 1600s, perhaps by accident — a harvest delayed by threat of enemy invasion. In 1700, Tokaj became the first European wine region to have its vineyards classified, its uniquely varied terroirs and climates rated “primae classis, secundae classis, tertius classis,” or “first growth, second growth, third growth,” by Prince Rakoczi II of Transylvania. This classification system is still used in Hungary today.

“Vinum Regnum, Rex Vinorum,” or “The Wine of Kings, the King of Wines.” – KING LOUIS XIV (1638-1715), Versailles

“...invigorates every fiber of the brain.” – VOLTAIRE (1694-1778)

In the 18th century, CATHERINE THE GREAT stationed soldiers in Tokaj to protect her vineyards.

“The Tokay is much more superior to what you sent me last year under that name. It is very much esteemed by all who drink it and preferred to all others. It comes dearer than you imagined.” – PRESIDENT JEFFERSON, in a letter to Justus Erich Bollman, December 6, 1804

“I can assure you that they are esteemed on the continent of Europe among the best wines of Europe, and , Burgundy, Tokay are used at the best tables there.” – PRESIDENT JEFFERSON, in a letter to friend/tavern owner Samuel J. Harrison, September 18, 1817

“I received successfully the two bottles of the wine you were so kind as to send me. The first, called Tokay, is truly a fine wine, of high flavor, and, as you assure me there was not a drop of brandy or another spirit in it, I may say it is a wine of a good body of its own.” – PRESIDENT JEFFERSON, in a letter to John Adlum, pioneer of American , April 11, 1823

“The tokay ... sent to QUEEN VICTORIA as a jubilee present was of the rare variety known as ‘MEZESMALE’ or ‘HONEY BEAMS.’ This is produced only in Tarczal, near Tokay ... the grapes are never gathered until fully ripe, and are put into a cask without any artificial pressure being applied; the juice extracted from sun-dried grapes is then added, and the mixture becomes really essence of tokay.” – The Washington Post, November 30, 1890

“Send immediately one case of the wine that removes screws from the coffin lid.” – A satisfied Tokaji customer, in a letter to British wine importers Berry Bros & Rudd, 1933

“Tokaji has long enjoyed a reputation for marvellous health effects. This fame rested partly upon ‘endorsements’ from personages such as NAPOLEON III’S WIFE, EUGÉNIE, who lived to the age of 94 and attributed her health and well-preserved beauty to drinking two small glasses of aszú every morning.” – “Keep young and beautiful,” Harpers, January 23, 2004

“Whenever I drink Essencia, I feel ... imperial.” – SHARON STONE, in a thank-you note to Royal Tokaji for a gift of ASZÚ ESSENCIA to celebrate one of her marriages

POPE BENEDICT XVI was given bottle first bottle of Royal Tokaji 1993 ESSENCIA, thus reviving the ancient tradition of each Pope keeping a bottle of Essencia by his bedside to see him through any illness.

To renew the custom of Russian Czars enjoying Essencia, a practice that started with Peter the Great in the 1600s, PRESIDENT VLADIMIR PUTIN was presented with a few bottles of the Royal Tokaji 1999 ESSENCIA. – September 2006

Hugh Johnson followed in Franz Joseph’s footsteps by giving QUEEN ELIZABETH II a few bottles of the still-rare and much sought-after Royal Tokaji 1999 MÉZES MÁLY to celebrate her Diamond Jubilee. The first of these bottles will be enjoyed at Balmoral. – June 16, 2012 HUGH JOHNSON

Born in 1939, Hugh Johnson began his life-long passion for wine as a member of the Wine & Food Society at Cambridge University, where he gained an honors degree in English literature at King’s College (a constituent college of Cambridge University) in 1960. Degree in hand, Hugh became a feature writer for Vogue and House & Garden.

In 1963, as a result of his close friendship with the octogenarian André Simon, founder of The International Wine & Food Society, Hugh became general secretary of the society and succeeded the legendary gastronome as editor of its magazine Wine & Food. At the same time, he became wine correspondent of The Sunday Times in London and started work on his first book, “Wine,” whose publication in 1966 established him as one of the foremost English gastronomic writers. After a year as travel editor of The Sunday Times, he became editor of Queen Magazine, doubling the circulation in just two years. Hugh was invited to write “The World Atlas of Wine” in 1969. The research involved took Hugh all over the world; the result was a best-seller that might justly claim to have put wine on the map. It was during this travel period that he visited Hungary for the first time, in 1970, and was taken with Tokaji wines. “I thought they were the finest wines I’d ever tasted. They possessed a combination of richness and finesse with incredible age and just got better,” he says of the experience.

After a move to Essex with his young family and wife, Judy, Hugh became deeply involved in the study of trees, and by 1973, published his first book on this new passion, “The International Book of Trees,” with new editions published twice since. By 1979, with the inspiration and challenge of restoring his fine but neglected gardens, Hugh wrote “The Principles of Gardening” (published in 1983; translated into six languages). He also founded The Plantsman quarterly in 1979. The garden and arboretum at Saling Hall have since gained an international reputation and are open to visitors during summer months.

From 1975 to 2005, Hugh was editorial consultant of The Garden (the Journal of The Royal Horticultural Society). Since 1977, he has annually produced “Hugh Johnson’s Pocket Wine Book,” which has now sold more than eight million copies and appears in 13 languages. And from 1986 to 2001, he served as a director of first-growth Château Latour.

In 1990, Hugh co-founded Royal Tokaji with a group of investors to revive the revered but almost-forgotten aszú wines of the Tokaj region in Hungary. It became a private limited company in 1993. Hugh and his partners, later joined by fellow Englishman Ben Howkins, have been credited with the renaissance of Tokaji wines and returning these decadent sweet wines to their noble, coveted stature. Hugh is joint owner of Royal Tokaji’s Mézes Mály Vineyard, one of Tokaj’s two great first growths, which he purchased in partnership with Royal Tokaji in 1993.

Hugh was named a Chevalier de l’Ordre National du Mérite by President Chirac of France in 2004. In 2006, he released “A Life Uncorked,” an intimate autobiographical tour decanting his life in the world of wine. Hugh was named an Officer of the British Empire (OBE) by Queen Elizabeth II in the 2007 New Year’s Honours List for his services to winemaking and horticulture.

Hugh spends much time updating his existing books. For the last 30 years he has also written a monthly column for The Garden under the pseudonym Tradescant. In addition to his duties with Royal Tokaji, he currently serves as editorial advisor to The World of Fine Wine magazine and writes a bi-monthly column for . He is considered the world’s best-selling writer on wine, with total sales of about 15 million. BEN HOWKINS (co-founder and director)

Born in 1942, Ben Howkins was educated at Rugby School, and Amherst College, Massachusetts. Upon his return to the UK, he started a winter sports travel business and in June 1961 joined Brown & Pank, the wine division of the Watney Mann Brewery in Northampton. In 1963, Ben became the youngest person to be awarded the Vintners Scholarship, given annually by the Vintners Company to enable the winner to spend six months amongst Europe’s vineyards meeting the leading owners and winemakers. For the next five years, Ben used this acquired wine knowledge to pioneer wine sales in the Midlands and in London.

When Grand Metropolitan absorbed Watney Mann in 1968, Ben was one of the first Brown & Pank employees to be transferred to International Distillers & Vintners (IDV). During the next two years, he was brand manager for Gilbeys Gin and Piat Wines, and group product manager for Brown Gore & Welch’s agencies, Bols, Bouchard Père & Fils, and Croft.

By 1970, Ben had passed both Part I and Part II of the Wine & Spirit Education Trust’s exams with distinction and was awarded the Williams & Humbert Scholarship. He was then invited to join IDV’s oldest company, the port producers Croft & Co founded in 1678, as export sales manager. He joined the board of Croft in 1972 as export sales director, introducing their products to the American and Far East markets, while continuing to grow European sales. In 1978, Ben became export marketing director of both the sherry and port operations, the year of the company’s 300th anniversary.

During this time, Ben lectured on port at the Wine & Spirit Education Trust and wrote many wine articles for trade journals as well as consumer press. His widely acclaimed book on port “Rich, Rare & Red” was published by Heinemann in 1980. It was subsequently reissued in paperback by Christopher Helm.

That same year, IDV appointed Ben managing director of Morgan Furze Ltd., the preeminent London wine merchants. Five years later, Ben was named a director of W&A Gilbey and was invited to join the Confrérie des Chevaliers du Tastevin in Burgundy, France, and Confraria do Vinho do Porto in Portugal. He joined the Livery of the Vintners’ Company in 1986, and became a member of the Royal Household Wine Committee in 1987.

In 1989, Ben joined the independent port producers Taylor Fladgate & Yeatman, severing his 21-year stint with IDV. He also became chairman of the Wine Promotion Board in 1990 and launched the National Wine Week concept during his chairmanship. Ben also became a member of the Editorial Advisory Board of the International Journal of Wine Marketing, an honorary member of the Academy of Wine Service and was appointed to the Council of the Wine Guild of the United Kingdom, whose founder is Lord Montagu of Beaulieu.

Ben was responsible for launching the Wine Cellars and Wine Shop at Lord Rothschild’s brilliantly restored, last-surviving Rothschild House at Waddesdon. The wine program has since grown in renown each year.

In 1993, Ben joined forces with Hugh Johnson, the world’s most published wine author, and Peter Vinding-Diers, a Danish-born Bordeaux winemaker, to found Royal Tokaji — the first non-Hungarian company to invest in the region. Royal Tokaji is a founding member of the Tokaji Renaissance, dedicated to re-establishing Tokaji aszú as one of the world’s greatest wines. CHARLES MOUNT (managing director)

Charlie Mount was born in 1972. As the son of a British wine merchant, he was exposed to wine from an early age; the first wine he can remember tasting (at the age of 5) was Chateau d’Yquem 1971.

After studying at Eton College, Charlie spent a year living and working in Florence, before attending King’s College London and graduating with a degree in law.

Charlie’s first job in the wine industry was with Majestic Wine Warehouses where he worked through his Wine & Spirit Education Trust Qualifications while driving a delivery van. He then joined Lea & Sandeman, a small, independent London wine merchant with exceptional agencies from Burgundy and Italy. He managed sales in UK restaurants and travelled to Italy visiting existing and potential agency partners.

In 2003, Charlie joined Moët as prestige sales manager with responsibility for UK Michelin Star restaurants and five-star hotels. He built a new area of the business focused on private clients and built a network of high-net worth collectors of Krug, Dom Pérignon, Hennessy and other LVMH brands. He also managed relationships with key corporate partners including the PGA European Tour.

Charlie then moved from sales to marketing as brand manager for Champagne Krug. Here, he worked on the launch of Krug d’ and the expansion of the “Krug Room” private dining rooms from London to Hong Kong.

Tokaji, and Royal Tokaji in particular, had long been a source of fascination for Charlie, and when the opportunity arose, he was delighted to join the company and is honored to be leading the next stage in the development of this unique wine brand.