2019 Sas Alja Hárslevelű

The Sas alja Dűlő translates to the “bottom of the eagle” and most likely comes from Szász (aka Saxon) but written in the Latin form of ‘Sas.’ Not sure what the take away from either is, but the andesite bedrock and rich clay here produces, as Dorka puts it, “dense character.” Its first mention dates back 1622. The 2019 was pressed without destemming or crushing, fermented and aged in stainless steel, and bottled unfined/unfiltered with around 10ppm total SO2. Hárslevelű typically has less acidity than Furmint, which is true here, but it doesn’t come across as such. The aromatics jump out in a very non Muscat way, the alcohol doesn’t come across as hot at all, the weight is creamy without any residual sugar, super salty as it opens up, and it’s quite simply unlike any other dry Tokaj in the whole portfolio.