2020 Bott Szamorodni Dry

Tokaj, Hungary (Toke-Eye)
2020
Furmint and Hárslevelű
Cool Continental
Red clay (nyirok) and obsidian
Southern
Aged under veil in barrels for 3.5 years without opening them.
14.5%
6.9 g/l
6.1 g/l
Notes & Pairings
This isn’t something you can aim to make. Nature either presents itself and you take the risk or not. You need high levels of botrytis (60% minimum), the right amount of headspace in the barrel and the flora and fauna in the cellar to produce a veil of yeast. After that, patience and luck. This 2020 took three years to go dry and they only had three barrels. Thankfully, there was no loss and the three were blended yielding 1300 bottles in total. The ‘flor’charachter is certainly present, but it’s bright, fresh, and full of spiced honey energy as well. And since Szamorodni is never fortified or blended, this doesn’t have the heat or oxidation of a sherry or Vin Jaune. There are only two dry Szamorodni imported into the US, so in addition to Samuel Tinon, this is the second.