VINEYARDS AND CELLARS

Crown Estates of Hungary own 80 hectares of the top vineyard in the region, mostly located at three of the top sites. The jewel in the Crown is the former Royal Szarvas ‘First Great Growth’ vineyard, the top site in the entire region. They also own the Király Vineyard near the town of Mád and Szentvér in Tolcsva. Other top sites to which they have exclusive access include Kincsem and Gyopáros (both in Tolcsva). Single estate Tokaji Aszú wines from some of these locations can be found in the Museum Cellars. The best Tokaji wines from the top vineyards will improve in bottle for many years if kept in the ideal conditions of the Museum Cellar. Only Crown Estates of Hungary have access to this unique cellar and wines from this wonderful location are marketed under the Crown Estates Museum Collection. No other Tokaji house has access to such a unique collection of these outstanding antique wines.

The Tokaji Wine Region Click on the map to enlarge

Unique Museum Cellar	Historic Szarvas Vineyard	Traditional Tokaji Cellar
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Tokaji Aszú wines from the Museum Collection exhibit a balance of richness and acidity, allied to a freshness that is un-equalled in antique wines. These sumptuous wines are kept in ideal conditions, are carefully aged in cask and bottle over many years in a labyrinth of C13th underground cellars.

click to enlarge Wines stored in the Museum cellar slowly become covered in velvet-like cellar mould The most spectacular wines, in the astounding Museum Collection include Tokaji wines from the following years: 1906 1912, 1915, 1920 1936, 1937 1940, 1942, 1947 1952, 1956, 1957, 1959 1963, 1964 1972 1983   Museum wines for the following years are likely to be available in due course, once they have reached their true potential: 1988, 1993, 1999, 2000

Crown Estates have different wines from the very finest vintages dating back to 1900. The rarest of these wines, featured in the "Finest and Rarest" Sothebys Auction on 15th November 2000, the proceeds of which were donated to Marie Curie Cancer Care. The top price of £1,050 was acheived for a bottle of rare Aszu Essencia from 1912, made when the main Crown Estates vineyards were still owned by the Hungarian monarchy. In addition two bottles of the very rare 1900 Tokaji Aszú 6 puttonyos were included in the sale. A bottle of this sumptuous wine was presented to the Queen Mother in September 2000 to mark her 100th Birthday. The wine was made in the year of Her Majesty’s birth and the year in which Queen Victoria also received a birthday gift of Tokaji wine. This ancient 100 year old Tokaji was made with outstanding quality Aszú berries grown at the dawn of the last Century. Aged for 12 years in cask, after bottling it was preserved in the unique and historic Museum Cellar, a 13th Century labyrinth, where thanks to the effect of Cladosporium Celare, both temperature and humidity are kept constant, creating the optimum conditions for the maturation of these antique wines. The tasting note below was prepared by Crown Estates Chief Winemaker for the 1900 6 puttonyos: Dark Amber. Still looking remarkably young with aromas of old furniture and spice. Bright palate with fine sugar component and tight fresh acidity. Remarkably elegant and long, this exquisite and splendid Aszú oozes excellence, poise and distinction in every single drop. An intensely enjoyable wine, which embodies the elegance and perfection of an entire century.

The Region’s most famous cellars owned by Crown Estates, include the world famous Museum Cellar in Tolcsva and Szarvas cellar at Prince Rákóczi's C17th century mansion located near the Estate in Tarcal
The Crown Estates Museum Cellar The most spectacular and rarest Tokaji wines are found in the astounding and unique Crown Estates Museum Collection, part of Hungary’s national heritage. Not only are Crown Estates are the only Tokaj House with access to the Museum Cellar, housing antique wines from the past 100 years but there is no comparable collection of rare but eminently drinkable antique wines in the region or elsewhere in the world. Only the finest Tokaji wines from the very best vintages enter the Museum Cellar. Although they contain commercial quantities of wines from the best vintages dating back to 1900, the oldest bottle in the Museum Cellar date from the 1680's . These amazing, long lived Aszú wines are kept in wooden casks for many years and then only bottled at the peak of their maturation. Subsequently as they remain in bottle their flavour, fragrance and bouquet become even more refined. The higher the number of Puttonyos, the longer the wine will remain in a consumable state.	click to enlarge
The Museum wines are Tokaji Aszú and Szamorodni wines of exceptionally good vintages, selected by the expert Cellarmasters. With 88-92% relative humidity, the cellars are the only ones in the world where it is possible for the bottles to be stored upright as the corks do not dry out. In spite of this, each Museum wine is analysed and re-corked every 25 to 30 years. Cellarmasters undergo apprenticeships of many years before the secrets of the enigmatic Tokaji Museum wines and cellaring are imparted.	click to enlarge
With years of development in barrel and bottle, Museum Collection Tokaji wines are among the most complicated and expensive wines to make. The nuances of each section of the cellar and vintage add to the complexity of every Tokaji Aszú wine. One cannot help be beguiled by the history and tradition of Crown Estates’ Museum Cellar. From exceptional Aszú years, these miraculous wines have the ability to live for decades. In addition Crown Estates of Hungary own several other ancient cellars including the Ungvár cellar in Sátoraljaújhely, where many of the wines destined for export markets are aged. The company also owns other cellars in Tolcsva and other locations in the heart of the region.	click to enlarge