Disznókő 1413 Szamorodni Edes 2018

This traditional style of sweet wine has been produced in Tokaj for centuries, and 1413 is the year the Disznókő vineyard was first mentioned in a land register. The name Szamorodni comes from the Polish meaning 'as it comes' or 'the way it was grown', and so the bunches come as they are from vineyard to cellar. Therefore, unlike the Aszú wines, which have grapes selected berry-by-berry, these were picked in whole bunches, containing a mix of very ripe late-harvest grapes, raisined grapes and 20 to 40% botrytised fruit.

The wine was made in a similar way to the world-famous wines of Sauternes, and was aged for at least two years in ex-Sauternes barrels. Szamorodni can be made in two styles—sweet (edes) and dry (száraz). Reflecting the balance in the vineyard, Disznókő’s Szamorodni Edes is predominantly Furmint and typically has 50 to 100 grams of residual sugar.  

This is a mouth-wateringly racy, delicious wine that doesn’t require further aging. In some respects, it is comparable to an Aszú, with flavours of honey, candied orange, sweet spice and zingy acidity, but it is also considerably lighter and less concentrated. Like the Late Harvest, it is supremely flexible at the table.