After working alongside some larger-production estates in the 1990s, founder and Tokaji native Sarolta Bárdos decided to set out on her own so she planted six hectares of vines, converted a 19th-century home into a cellar, and launched her small-scale estate. Today, she organically farms these vines which are split between two vineyards: Barakonyi (rhyolite soil) and Csirke-Mál (clay and volcanic tuff soils). 

Her 2018 “Hárs” comes entirely from Barakonyi, a “First Growth” site (Tokaj was the first region to introduce vineyard classifications) with historic origins dating back to the 1300s. The clusters of Hárslevelű, some of which are botrytized, are manually harvested and sorted once on-site and again at the winery. A native fermentation is carried out in 220-liter Hungarian oak, 50% new, followed by roughly one year of fine lees aging in the same barrels.

What a mesmerizing white wine this is. It erupts with rich aromas of quince, mango peel, apricot, white mushroom and citrus peel, all of which take on a slightly honeyed tone. The palate is medium-plus-bodied, lush, and broadly textured with ripe orchard fruits and a powerful backbone of acid and crushed volcanic rock. It finishes dry and clean, with a resounding, mouthwatering mineral imprint that lingers for 20+ seconds. You’re going to love it.