“Wine of kings, king of wines!” - Louis XIV

Apologies in advance if you end up as one of the lucky few with a bottle of this and have trouble pouring it. Wine Spectator is right: it’s practically **“maple syrup” **- rich stuff.

Just look at that color!

And it’s infinitely more complex and profound than maple syrups that cost more. Yes, they exist. You can pour this on pancakes, but please don’t. Every sip of this elixir is practically medicinal for the body and the soul. It’s a transformative, transcendental potion that will leave you perplexed in silence and awe.

Because this is an Esszencia. Not an Aszú Esszencia that’s made with the Aszú method of adding baskets of Puttonyos to a base wine, it’s a true and pure Esszencia made entirely from extracting just nobly rotten berries. It’s the stuff they measure in tiny amounts and add to all other sweet Tokay wines. If and when you spot these true unicorns in nature, they are in 187ml bottles. Some come with a silver spoon to serve them with. Finding one in a larger bottle is like being handed a Double Eagle coin for change.

Also worth noting, this is more than half sugar in content. Purely natural residual sugar, from individually picked botrytized berries that have so little juice left in them that it takes thousands of berries to make a half bottle. The thick ‘juice’ barely lets the yeast work, getting it up to 2% alcohol; it simply can’t ferment beyond that, taking an insane amount of time to even get there.

Yet it barely feels cloying; on the contrary, it remains supremely BALANCED with surreal levels of natural acidity from both the variety’s retention ability plus the magical botrytis contributions, layering in mind-bending freshness. It truly is a freak of nature, must be tasted to be believed. Pure magic.

Oh, and we were allocated 24 bottles only, please be considerate so that more Ops experience it.

98 Points – Wine Spectator “Like maple syrup on the palate, this is lush and viscous, with a beautifully expressive beam of honeyed apricot enlivened by rapierlike, mouthwatering acidity that plays off the mouthcoating texture, showing fascinating equilibrium. A lovely range of blood orange pâte de fruit, dried mint, butterscotch and lemon wax is layered with the rich apricot character, all ringing out on the long, long finish. Furmint, Hárslevelü, Muscat and Zéta. Drink now through 2046.”

97 Points – Raffaele Vecchione “Rich in texture and character, this Essencia displays notes of dried mango, turmeric, cantaloupe melon, saffron, honey, white truffles, moist earth, mixed leaves, tobacco, leather, and chamomile. Full-bodied and salty on the palate, it displays brilliance and gentleness in a composed and graceful sip. The finish is solid and juicy, decidedly modern, and begs to be returned to. A wine that certainly doesn’t go unnoticed, a must-have in the cellars of the finest collectors. Drink now or age.”

96 Points – Decanter “Such a gorgeous nose - bitter orange peel marmalade, grapefruit, dried apricots, wild acacia honey and lemon. Such thick, gorgeous sweet sherbet lemon fruit flavours alongside maple syrup, quince, gingerbread and subtle floral scents add to the overall complex composition on the palate. The texture is massy and full, so delicious and succulent and fully mouthcoating. Really very generous but so welcome, it’s like a big hug, the sweetness is dominant, but the acidity is perfect to counteract it. A wonderful expression here. Lifted, complex, perfectly handled and controlled. Joyful with a sense of direction, which is not an easy feat when there’s so much sugar and only 2% alcohol. Chill and serve in small portions. 600g/L residual sugar. First time on the Place de Bordeaux for three Hungarian wines from this estate which is owned and managed by Jean-Louis and Ronan Laborde of Château Clinet in Pomerol. Drink 2022-2045.”