Zoltán Demeter is part of the first generation to craft Tokaj wines in Hungary’s post-Communist era, after decades of ‘collectivized’ agriculture that emphasized quantity over quality and reduced awareness of the wines in international markets. Although he originally founded his winery in 1996, Zoltán continued to consult for others before deciding to focus solely on his own wines in 2008. 

Having studied enology in Beaune and worked as far afield as the Napa Valley in California, he has plenty of perspective on the great wines of the world—which he brings to bear as the ultimate one-man show, in a tiny cellar inside a house that dates to 1790. He painstakingly farms nine single vineyards in Tokaj, all of them classified as “first growths” and all planted to vines averaging about 40 years of age. No chemical pesticides or fertilizers are used, and sulfur is only applied when absolutely necessary, by hand. In his micro-winery, the grapes are naturally fermented and aging occurs in a combination of stainless steel and used Hungarian oak barrels.

Szamorodni loosely translates to “as it comes off the vine.” Essentially, the Furmint grapes in this wine were picked by the cluster (versus by the berry) with high levels of ripeness and botrytis. For those who would call this “inferior” to Tokaji Aszú 6 Puttonyos, I say think again: The minimum natural residual sugar level for that designation is 150 grams per liter, and Demeter’s 2017 Szamorodni comes in at a whopping 238 g/l. For those who think that would be too sweet/cloying, I say think again, again: With nine grams of total acidity, it’s as if a cleansing, razor-thin tidal wave slices through each rich layer of apricot, quince, and peach marmalade. With just 81 cases produced, this is mesmerizing, ultra-rare stuff. Insider tip: Prices are going way up with the next release, so get this limited nectar while it's still affordable!