The first written records of Dereszla Castle date back to the early 15th century, when it belonged to the Hungarian royal court. The winery itself was founded in the 18th century and has produced wine under various owners over the centuries. In 2000, the d'Aulan family from the Champagne region recognized the rich heritage and invested heavily in modernizing their equipment and introducing the latest technologies. Today, the Dereszla winery owns 27 hectares of vineyards, divided among designated "Grand Cru" sites. The wide variety of soils in these vineyards is a key factor in the complexity of Dereszla wines.
The fertile climate is ideal for the development of the Botrytis cinerea bacterium. This bacterium attacks the grapes, perforating the skins, causing moisture to evaporate inside the grapes and increasing sugar concentration while decreasing acidity. The autumn morning mist promotes the growth of the fungus that causes the infamous "noble rot."
To make Château Dereszla Aszú 5 Puttonyos, the grapes are harvested by hand to carefully select those affected by Botrytis cinerea, with the final sugar content measured in puttonyos. A puttonyo is a kind of basket with a capacity of about 25 kg. It is used as a benchmark for calculating the amount of noble rot clusters, called Aszú, which are then poured into the base wine in 136-liter barrels. The minimum amount for this class of wines is 3 puttonyos and the maximum is 6. The more puttonyos it contains, the sweeter it will be.
This wine has a very intense golden color. Exceptionally refined and an infinitely complex nose. Plenty of dried fruit such as apricots, plums, and orange, along with honey and walnuts. On the palate, the wine presents itself as pure, fresh, opulent, and unique. A rich wine with a long finish, certainly an enlightening experience. This Château Dereszla Tokaji Aszu 5 Puttonyos is incredibly beautiful.
