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Stories of an illustrious
history help define Királyudvar's place in the heart of Tokaj
and of Hungary itself. The estate has maintained an esteemed place
in the wine tradition and legend of the region ever since.
As early as the 11th century,
Királyudvar - the KING'S COURT - supplied Tokaji wines to
Hungary's royal court. Wine commerce enabled the estate to serve
as a financial engine for the 12th century Crusades to the Holy
Land. During Tokaj's golden age from the 16th to the 18th century,
the estate's wines contributed directly to the worldwide fame of
Tokaji wines.
Following the 1711 War of
Independence, the Hungarian royal family reclaimed Királyudvar,
where it remained over the next two centuries. After the First World
War, the estate was placed in the hands of the Tokaj Research Institute
of Viticulture and Oenology.
Our place in the estate's
history began in 1997 when Tokaj wine enthusiast Anthony Hwang carried
out his vision to return Királyudvar to its past grandeur.
Over the next decade, the original structure and cellars were carefully
rebuilt while grand-cru vineyards throughout the region were collected
and reworked.
In 2003, the company released
its acclaimed single-vineyard 1999 Lapis Aszú dessert wine,
which immediately established Királyudvar as a serious producer
and revealed the company's pioneering vision. This wine instantaneously
became a benchmark for quality in Tokaj and also brought a welcomed
visibility to the winery.
A few years later in 2006,
Királyudvar again demonstrated its desire and ability to
bring Tokaj wines to even higher levels with the introduction of
the 2005 Sec, a world-class dry wine from a region recognized for
its dessert wines.
Over the past decade, the
company has continued its vineyard renewal program while installing
a system of nurturing vineyard practices. Today, the Hwang family
works closely with the winemaking at Királyudvar to forge
the estate's distinct style of precision and balance, terroir-expression
and modern innovation on traditional winemaking techniques.
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