Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET) Level 3 Award in Wine Practice Exam

The category of Tokaji Aszú Eszencia was abolished in 2013. Tokaji Aszú is a well-known sweet wine from Hungary, made from grapes affected by noble rot (Botrytis cinerea). Aszú Eszencia represented a very sweet, concentrated style of wine with a high sugar level, which was a more specific category within the Aszú designation.

The abolition of this category was part of a broader effort to streamline and clarify the classification system for Tokaji wines, ensuring that the designations accurately reflect the style and quality of the wines produced. This change eliminated potential confusion in the marketplace regarding different styles of sweet Tokaji wines.

In contrast, categories such as Tokaji Eszencia (a naturally sweet wine made from the free-run juice of aszú grapes), as well as the 3 puttonyos and 4 puttonyos classifications (which refer to the number of puttonyos, or baskets of aszú berries, added to a base wine) still exist to represent varying levels of sweetness and complexity in Tokaji wines. Thus, the focus on avoiding the overlap of styles contributed to the decision to discontinue the Tokaji Aszú Eszencia category.