The 2007 Essencia from the Royal Tokaji Wine Company, the fifth made in the modern era, is an otherworldly wine that has difficulty fitting into the definition of "wine." My Pavlovian reaction tasting it from bottle was identical to my reaction when I tasted it at the winery in September 2014. You cannot help but laugh at the sheer audacity of its syrupy pour into your glass or preferably on to a spoon. (As an aside, I strongly recommend this traditional method of consuming Essencia. I can only analogize to Asian cuisine tasting better with chopsticks. So Essencia should be consumed by spoon like a child receiving medicine and inside every one of 2,057 lacquered presentation boxes there is a free, hand-blown, crystal spoon. Do use them.) Drink 2015 - 2200. Neal Martin May 2015

The 2007 Essencia is the fifth made in the modern era, and it continues to defy the definition of wine. It gloops onto the spoon, the best way to consume this astonishing elixir. The palate electrifies the senses with almost overwhelming sweetness of apricot, Japanese plum and marmalade, while the acidity miraculously keeps everything on an even keel – not easy to do with a payload of 560gm/L residual sugar! Profound and probably destined to last for eternity. You can even drive home afterwards thanks to the 1.65% alcohol. Drink 2019 - 2200. Tasted at a private dinner in Hong Kong. July 2019