Aszú of Tokaj is the most noble of Hungarian wines, acquiring its distinctive flavor from the “noble rot” caused by the botrytis cinerea fungus. The gray spores thrive in the unique Tokaj microclimate created by the rising fog from the Bodrog and Tisza rivers and remove much of the moisture from the grape, leaving higher concentrations of sugar and flavor. Aszú grapes must be picked individually by hand, which makes aszú among the most expensive of Hungarian wines.
Aszú wines were traditionally subject to a form of grading depending on the quantity of botrytized grapes added to the base wine, usually a blend of furmint, hárslevelű and yellow muscat. The traditional measure of a puttony (hod) is still in effect today, although it now reflects the sugar content of the finished product rather that the actual number of hods added. Aszú wines range from between three to six puttonyos, with anything sweeter labeled as esszencia.
Other noble rot varieties from Tokaj are szamorodni and fordítás.
