Apressei meus passos até encontrar a entrada de um caminho tortuoso que subia a encosta de Oremus. Na entrada, conforme combinado, me esperava Maté Szepsi, pastor e vinhateiro particular da princesa Zsuzsanna, mulher de Gyorgy Rókócay, principe da Transilvania. Ele estava afobado e pediu-me para apressar os passos.
Estávamos no ano de 1630 e as uvas Furmint e Hárslevelú estavam bem maduras, no ponto de colheita.
Banho tomado e taça de vinho na mão, fiquei sabendo que era iminente um ataque de hordas turcas e que o mais recomendável era não efetivar a colheita no dia seguinte. Szepsi conhecia bem esses assaltos para roubar vinhos para comercializar em outras plagas.
A espera de semanas foi interrompida com o alerta do vigia sobre a aproximação dos turcos.
Com a saída dos invasores, deixamos o esconderijo e verificamos que as uvas estavam desidratadas ou emboloradas. Pensei comigo ter perdido a viagem e a experiência de colheita.
Depois de muita conversa ficou decidido vinificar as uvas no estado em que se encontravam. Szepsi tinha anotações antigas dando conta de experiência anterior. Convidado, aceitei e permaneci ajudando.
Tomamos uma velha tina de madeira para acumular as uvas colhidas. Surpresa! Pelas frestas do fundo da tina começou a verter um mosto grosso e extremamente doce que coletamos em uma tina menor. Com uma furadeira manual Szepsi fez muitos furos no fundo aumentando a drenagem do mosto. Com uma pisa sobre as uvas mais mosto escorreu e ficou na tina uma pasta das uvas que resolvemos usar para enriquecer vinhos secos.
Szepsi apanhou uma caixa de madeira e preencheu com aproximadamente 25 quilos de pasta, dose que chamou de puttony. Foi realizada a adição variada em cartolas diferentes com 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 e 8. As amostras foram deixadas em maceração e, depois de separadas da parte sólida, deixadas em longa e lenta fermentação nas barricas de 136 litros, chamadas de gönc.
No final verificamos que as amostras de 1 e 2 puttony não tinham grandes predicados e foram eleitas as amostras com 3 a 6 puttony. A de 7 puttony não oferecia vantagens e a de 8 foi batizada de Aszu Esszencia.
Nesse momento, se aproximava uma linda cigana com uma taça de vinho e eu não sabia se admirava a beleza da moça ou a cor do néctar da taça. Senti um cutucar de dedos no meu ombro e acordei. Estava em uma degustação e só ouvi o coordenador insistindo: Sérgio, Sérgio, SER-GI-O! Sua nota para a amostra número 5!
PUTTONY, NICE TO MEET YOU!
It was a beautiful October morning and cool winds heralded the fall. On the edge of a road a crude sign was saying Tokaj-Hegyalja. I searched in my limited knowledge of Hungarian had in an abbey of Budapest and translate the indication: Tokaj Foothills. I quickened my steps to find the entrance to a winding path that climbed the slope Oremus.
At the entrance, as agreed, I was expected by Maté Laczko, particular pastor and vintener of Princess Zsuzsanna, wife of Rókócay Gyorgy, Prince of Transylvania. He was flustered and asked me to hasten the steps.
We were in 1630 and the Furmint and Hárslevelú grapes were very ripe and at the point of harvest.
After bath and with a glass of wine in hand, I learned that an attack of Turkish hordes was imminent and the planned harvest could not be effectived the next day. Szepsi knew these burglaries used to steal wines to market in other places.
The weeks of waiting was interrupted with the warning of the watchman on the approximation of the Turks. We simulated the abandonment of the house, hid the valued and portable goods, and we took refuge in the dugout.
With the departure of the invaders we left the shelter and found that the grapes were dried or moldy. I thought to myself that I have missed both the trip and the harvesting experience.
After much discussion it was decided vinify grapes in the state in which they were. Szepsi had old notes giving an account of previous experience. Guest, I accepted and stayed to help.
We took an old wooden tub to collect the grapes harvested. Surprise! Poke through the bottom of the tank began to leak a thick and extremely sweet wine that we collect in a smaller tank. With an old hand drill Szepsi made many holes in the bottom increasing the drainage of juice. Stepping on the grapes and more must flowed in another tub and it rested grapes mass that we decided to use to enrich dry wines.
Szepsi took the paste and filled a wooden box with approximately 25 Kg of pasta, which he called puttony. We performed the addition in different hats with 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 puttony. Samples were macerated and then separated from the solid part, left in long, slow fermentation in barrels of 136 liters, called gönc.
At the end we found that in samples with 1 and 2 puttony there were no major predicates and elected the samples with 3-6 puttonyos. The 7-puttonyos offered no advantages. The sample with 8 puttony was named as Aszu Esszencia.
Suddenly, was approaching a beautiful gypsy with a glass of wine. I did not know if I admired the beauty of the girl or the color of the nectar from the cup. I felt a finger poke on my shoulder and I woke up. It was a wine tasting section and I only heard the coordinator insisting: Sergio, Sergio, SER-GI-O! Your grade for the sample number 5!
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