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Patricius, Tokaji Aszú 6 Puttonyos 2016

White (dessert)Hungary2016

By Daniel Min · Tasted 2020-02-08 · Published 2026-09-20 · Updated 2026-09-20

In one paragraphPatricius Tokaji Aszú 6 Puttonyos 2016 is a botrytized dessert wine from the Kékessy family's estate in Bodrogkisfalud, Tokaj, Hungary, blending Furmint and Hárslevelű at 11.5% ABV. Tokaj is often credited as having the world's first appellation protection system, thanks to János Matolai's 1720 vineyard classification — the first of its kind anywhere — and a 1737 royal charter that fixed the region's borders. Two independent sources agree that Louis XIV, after tasting an Aszú sent by Prince Francis II Rákóczi, called it "the wine of kings, the king of wines." On Vivino, this 2016 vintage has 294 ratings averaging 4.5 (the label overall: 1,391 ratings, also 4.5), with no listed critic scores. The nose leads with an earthy honey-and-mushroom group (106 mentions), followed by marmalade and orange (87) and apricot and pear (83). Structure: sweetness 5.0/5, acidity 4.9 — an extreme sweetness matched by an equally extreme acidity — with intensity at 3.0. Drinking window: 2018–2031. I scored it 4.0 on 8 February 2020. Price: US$113 per 750ml ex-tax (Wine-Searcher, Sept 2026) (Wine-Searcher).

Patricius, Tokaji Aszú 6 Puttonyos 2016 bottle — my own photo, 2020.02 — Photo: Daniel Min, 2020.02 (Vivino log)

4.0

My rating / 5 ★★★★☆

4.5

Vivino 2016 vintage average (294 ratings)

No critic scores on Vivino

World average US$113

World average price (Wine-Searcher)

At a glance

Producer

Patricius (Bodrogkisfalud, Tokaj)

Region

Hungary · Tokaj

Grapes

Furmint · Hárslevelű

Alcohol

11.5%

Style

Medium-bodied, high acidity (Vivino: Hungarian Tokaji Aszú)

Drinking window (Vivino)

2018–2031

Food pairing

Sweet desserts, Blue cheese

World average price

World average US$113 / 750ml (ex-tax, Wine-Searcher, Sept 2026)

No critic scores are listed on Vivino for this wine.

Market note: Patricius was named Hungary's "Winery of the Year" in 2016, and its holdings include several of Tokaj's historic first-growth (Grand Cru) vineyards.

What this wine is

Tokaj is a small volcanic hill region in northeastern Hungary, but it was one of the first wine regions European royalty ever coveted. When Aszú wine's fame spread across Europe in the late 17th century, Prince Francis II Rákóczi asked for the vineyards around Tokaj's 28 villages to be ranked by quality, and in 1720 János Matolai completed a classification based on terroir and quality — the world's first vineyard classification of its kind. A 1737 royal charter then formally fixed the region's borders, which is why Tokaj is often described today as having had the world's first appellation-of-origin protection system. Two independent sources agree on the story that Louis XIV, after tasting an Aszú sent by Rákóczi, had the phrase "Vinum Regum, Rex Vinorum" ("the wine of kings, the king of wines") placed on the menu card at a feast in Versailles.

Aszú's sweetness comes from noble rot (Botrytis cinerea). Tokaj's foggy late-autumn climate is ideal for the fungus to take hold on the grapes, and only the shriveled, botrytized berries — the "Aszú berries" — are hand-picked and crushed separately. How much of that paste gets folded back into the base wine determines the final sweetness: traditionally it was measured by the number of 20-liter wooden tubs (puttony) of paste added, so a higher "puttonyos" number means a sweeter wine.

Patricius is the Kékessy family's estate in Bodrogkisfalud, Tokaj — 68.5 hectares that include six of the region's historic first-growth vineyards. The winery itself occupies a converted press house that once belonged to local nobility and appears in the 1867 Tokaj-Hegyalja Album; it's since been modernized with a gravity-flow system layered onto the original structure. The estate's own history page doesn't state an exact founding year, but the phrase "nearly two decades of experience" and its 2016 Hungarian "Winery of the Year" award suggest a founding around 2000 — worth flagging as an estimate, not a confirmed date.

What the world says

This 2016 vintage has been rated by 294 people on Vivino, averaging 4.5 — exactly matching the Patricius Aszú 6 Puttonyos label overall (1,391 ratings). No critic scores are listed.

The flavor keywords lead with the earthy honey-and-mushroom group (106 mentions), followed by marmalade and orange peel (87) and apricot and pear (83). Structure: sweetness 5.0/5 and acidity 4.9 — both near the maximum — with an extreme sweetness matched by an equally extreme acidity. Intensity sits in the middle, at 3.0.

"The sweetness of caramel and honey is balanced with the zest of orange and apricot. A really enticing level of acidity and a smooth-as-silk finish." — Vivino review, Aug 2022, 4.8 stars

"A Tokaj powerhouse. Has it all: depth, intensity and length. Nose of honey, apricot, orange, raisin and almond." — Vivino review, Aug 2025, 4.5 stars

The drinking window runs 2018–2031, and I drank mine in February 2020, not long after that window opened.

How I drank it

8 February 2020, 4.0 stars. "Honey, marmalade, apricot, beeswax. Such a good dessert wine~ My first impression was that it tasted exactly like a Beerenauslese~ But after a bit, I noticed Tokaji felt richer, more concentrated. Great match with tiramisu~~^^" What's interesting is that I first reached for a German Beerenauslese comparison, then walked it back once I noticed the difference — both are botrytized wines, but Beerenauslese (Riesling-based) leans on acidity while Aszú (Furmint- and Hárslevelű-based) leans on honeyed concentration. Without meaning to, I'd landed on exactly the right distinction.

This site already has notes on three other botrytized dessert wines: Kracher Noble Reserve TBA (4.0), Leonard Kreusch Beerenauslese 2014 (4.5) and Château d'Yquem 2008 (4.0). This Patricius, at 4.0, sits in the same band as the Kracher and the Yquem. That's half a point below the community average of 4.5, but my note carries no real complaint — if anything, I called it "such a good dessert wine." Given how specifically I called out the tiramisu pairing, the 4.0 that night likely reflected a relative comparison against the other dessert wines on the table more than any flaw in the wine itself.

Where this wine shows up

History "The Wine of Kings, the King of Wines" — Louis XIV and Tokaj's classification · 1720 world's first vineyard classification / 1737 royal charter

Louis XIV, after tasting an Aszú sent by Prince Francis II Rákóczi, is said to have called it "Vinum Regum, Rex Vinorum" — the wine of kings, the king of wines. Tokaj is often credited as having the world's first appellation protection system, from János Matolai's 1720 vineyard classification and the 1737 royal charter that fixed the region's borders.

This Day in Wine History — The Story of Tokaji, the Wine of Kings · Wines of Tokaj official — History

Artwork and stills are not reproduced for copyright reasons; scenes are summarised.

Vivino community data

2016 vintage rating distribution (294 ratings, average 4.5)

5★		53 (18%)
4★		231 (79%)
3★		8 (3%)
2★		1 (0%)
1★		1 (0%)

Most-mentioned aromas

Family	Mentions	Top keywords
Earth & honey	106	honey 85 · mushroom 7 · ginger 6 · minerals 2 · smoke 2
Citrus	87	marmalade 35 · orange 19 · citrus 14 · orange peel 13 · lemon 3
Stone fruit & apple	83	apricot 34 · pear 17 · peach 9 · quince 8 · apple 7
Dried fruit	40	raisin 18 · dried apricot 13 · dried fruit 3 · fig 3 · dried mango 2
Bread & nuts (non-oak)	32	almond 14 · walnut 5 · hazelnut 3 · nutty 2 · biscuit 1
Oak	27	caramel 18 · clove 2 · coconut 2 · vanilla 2 · nutmeg 1
Tropical fruit	21	mango 7 · pineapple 7 · tropical 4 · guava 3

Structure: Acidity 4.9/5 · Intensity 3.0/5 · Sweetness 5.0/5

Average by vintage (all vintages: 1391 ratings, average 4.5)

Vintage	Average	Ratings
2019	4.2	120
2018	4.4	36
2017	4.5	148
2016	4.5	294
2008	4.6	141
2007	4.4	175
2006	4.3	54
2003	4.4	128
2000	4.7	129

My original note (Vivino, 2020-02-08)

Daniel Min · 4.0★ ★★★★☆

“honey marmalade apricot beeswax 넘 좋은 디져트 와인~ 첫느낌은 베렌아우스레제 랑 똑같네~ 좀지나면 토카이는 좀진한느낌을 받았어요. 티라미슈랑 굿 매칭~~^^”

See other wines Daniel scored 4.0 →

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Frequently asked questions

What kind of wine is Patricius Tokaji Aszú 6 Puttonyos 2016?

A botrytized dessert wine from the Kékessy family's estate in Bodrogkisfalud, Tokaj, Hungary, blending Furmint and Hárslevelű at 11.5% ABV. Vivino: 294 ratings averaging 4.5, with no listed critic scores.

How much does it cost?

US$113 per 750ml ex-tax (Wine-Searcher, Sept 2026) (Wine-Searcher).

What food pairs well with it?

Vivino users suggest sweet desserts and blue cheese. With sweetness at 5.0/5, it also works beautifully with creamy desserts like tiramisu — which is exactly the pairing in my own note.

What does "6 Puttonyos" mean?

It's the traditional measure of how much botrytized "Aszú" paste went into the base wine. Historically, that paste was counted in 20-liter wooden tubs (puttony); the more tubs folded in, the sweeter and more concentrated the wine (typically 3 to 6 Puttonyos). Six Puttonyos sits at the richer end of the Aszú scale.

Links & sources

View on Vivino · Prices on Wine-Searcher

Patricius, Tokaji Aszú 6 Puttonyos 2016

At a glance

What this wine is

What the world says

How I drank it

Where this wine shows up

Vivino community data

2016 vintage rating distribution (294 ratings, average 4.5)

Most-mentioned aromas

Average by vintage (all vintages: 1391 ratings, average 4.5)

My original note (Vivino, 2020-02-08)

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