Szőlőkert #3

This wine has been denied export paperwork longer than any other wine in the portfolio. When we tried to get Szőlőkert #1, Fanni wasn’t married nor did she have a daughter. With #3 finally in the warehouse, she has both. Perhaps it’s fitting since her daughter’s middle name is Borostyán, which translates to “amber.” And that’s exactly what this is, the amber side of Olaszrizling. Grown in the volcanic andesite and limestone rich Vitézföld vineyard, it’s also planted to a special clone of Olaszrizling that Gábor sourced from Pál Kozma at the research institute in Pécs. Olaszrizling is one of the most (over) planted varieties in Hungary, but this clone has small-berried clusters and something special going on. It’s also non vintage. The 2018 fruit was macerated for two months and aged in barrel. It was blended with purely direct pressed and fermented in tank 2019. Punched down by hand, zero pumps, and moved and bottled with zero additions only with gravity. It’s got plenty of structure, 14+ alcohol and even a few grams of RS, but the balance and freshness is extraordinary.