Puttonyos

Puttonyos is a unit for the level of sugar in Hungarian Tokaji. It is traditionally measured by the number of hods of sweet botrytised or nobly rotted grapes (known as Aszú) added to a barrel of wine, but is now measured in grams of residual sugar.^[1] The puttony was actually the 25 kg basket or hod of Aszú grapes, and the more added to the barrel of wine, the sweeter the eventual wine.^[1] Measurement ranges from 3 to 6 Puttonyos. A Tokaji made entirely from Aszú grapes is not labeled using the Puttonyos system but is known as Eszencia.^[1]

Szent Tamás Winery Aszú 2009

Residual sugar levels (grams per litre)

• 3 Puttonyos – 60
• 4 Puttonyos – 90
• 5 Puttonyos – 120
• 6 Puttonyos – 150
• Aszú Eszencia – 180
• Eszencia – 450

New regulations

From the 2013 harvest the new regulation requires minimum 120 g/L residual sugar in every Aszú wine. The producer still may use the puttonyos number on the label. The ageing criteria has also changed from minimum 2 years barrel and 1 year bottle ageing to minimum 18 months barrel ageing. ^[2]