TOKAJI: Dry and Very 21st Century!

By Stuart Pigott - last revision  18.06.26

Why start telling the story of Tokaj with dry wines, when the region is a legendary producer of nobly sweet ones? Because we are living in the 21st century, not the 20th, much less the 19th or 18th centuries! The dynamism of Tokaji wines (note the difference in spelling for the wines compared with the region) is largely in the field of dry wines. This category only came into existence in something like its present form just over 25 years ago, so Tokaji dry whites is a totally 21st century wine, although it is produced in an ancident region. That spectacular contradiction says a great deal one of the most exciting categories of dry white wine in the world today. 

There’s another good reason that the dry wines have to come first: today almost nobody is drinking nobly sweet wines, mostly because they are widely deemed old-fashioned, passé, fattening, unhealthy and impossible to match with savoury foo. But of then they're rejected out of hand, because in some indefinable way they’re just plain wrong. This is very much the opposite to the way they were percieved until 50 years ago, and even 25 years ago there was still a significant fan club, so there’s no inherent reason for the current situation, it’s just fashion.

As a cultural historian I have to take notice of how fashion changes, but as a wine journalist I am forming my own opinions independent of fashion, indeed, I tend to look down on fashion. Why? Because it’s often dumb in the detail and stupid in the general way it unfolds. Style is a completely different thing to fashion (although the two can align) and to my mind by far the superior. A distinctive style in combination with a complete commitment to quality leads to uniqueness. And many of the new dry Tokaji are very stylish wines; the very best of them are unique.

Let me explain. At first glance the thin-skinned Furmint grape that so easily develops Botrytis aka noble rot, is as unsuited to dry wine production as it is well-suited to nobly sweet wine production. However, as István Szepsy Jr. explained to me in 2022, the leading producers quickly learned that for dry Furmint you want the least amount of Botrytis possible to get clarity of bright aromas and crispness. The challenge here is to wait long enough before picking that you have ripe flavours, but not so long that you loose a lot of crop to Botrytis, which then needs to be removed bfeore the grapes go into the press. So this is not easy.

However, if you make it work, then you get dry wines of great racy purity that are sleek even at 13.5% or 14% alchol with an intense minerality: either of the wet-stone kind, the slaty kind or both at once. This minerality makes a lot of sense when you see the stony volcanic soil (mostly tuff or rhyolite) in many of the best vineards. Add to this the tannins of the grape - always present, but rarely dominant -  and you have an exciting balance. That can be too austere for some people, and even I - Mr. Minerality says “Hi!“ - greatly prefer these wines after a few years of aging in the bottle than to the year after the harvest. The one more mature wine I tasted, Demeter Zoltán’s  Tokaji Dry Furmint  Lapis  2008, was absolutely delicious.

If this all sounds like Riesling, then there is clealry a similarity on some levels. However, the aromatics of Riesling are extravagent compared to the restrained citrus and herbal notes that I find in most young dry Tokaji. I see a slightly closer comparison with dry whites from Chenin Blanc grape (think particularly of the Loire) and the Carricante grape of Mount Etna in Sicily. The point of mentioning these comparisons is that if you like these kind of wines, then you will almost certainly also be excited by dry Furmint. And if you feel a tingling of anticipation as you read this, then I suggest you jump over the entry-level wines and go straight for the single-vineyard dry Furmints. The best of them not only express special terroirs unlike any other volcanic vineyards I know, and they're also unique. 

While the entry-level wines often offer excellent vlaue for money, the single-vineyard wines can be much more expensive. I paid just over Euro 100 for a bottle of the Szepsy Tokaji Dry  Furmint  Szent Tamás 46  2022 so that this enormously deep and refined wine could be included in this story. By the way, I’m not boasting about buying an expensive bottle to taste it; the far greater commitment was going to Hungary for a week and working intensively while I was there! And it’s not just the region’smost famous producer who is making daring single-vineyard dry Furmint. Grand Tokai is the region’s largest producer with five million bottles per year, and they also showed me a series of these wines.

The stylistic variation is huge ranging form the crystaline precision of the Oremus wines to the darkand ultra-mineral wines of Lenkey (their amazing  Tokaji Dry  Ürágya  2018 is a Furmint-Harslévelü cuvée). In a certain sense these styles are contradictory, but this is nothing compared to the radically conflicting statements of the producers I met. István Balassa challenged the primacy of the Furmint grape. „Furmint is the most sensitive grape in the world: mildew, heat…I don’t believe that Tokaji is Furmint!“ and „for dry wines, you have to kill the Furmint to get the Furmint!“ On the other hand many of his colleagues, right up to Royal Tokaji are totally committed to the grape and express this with calm confidence. So, putting it in a friendly way, the region contains a confusing diversity of personalities and approaches.

To the complexities of Furmint come the complications resulting from the Harslévelü grape, which has more exotic aromatics - with a leafy note that ranges from parsley to curry leaf - plus abundant tannins. Then, there’s the Szamorodni categoriy - a Polish word meaning “as it comes“ or picked without selection - of which the Száraz version is more or less dry. This is the historic dry wine of the region and it was often matured in oak casks for several years before consumption, sometimes under a layer of flor-type yeast. Szamorodni Száraz is an acquired taste, but the use of more or less neutral oak casks is the one thing this old-fashioned category has with the new dry whites !

That could be a serious marketing challenge, but the total amount of wine availablefor the whole world is small, because the region has just under 5,000 hectares of vineyards, so the communication problem is a hindrance, but not an unasailable obstable on the path to international success. The wines will find their way to those who love mineral dry whites regardless of any complications. Below are a series of doors into this fascinating world of aromas, flavours and texture, the best of which are definitely wow wines. No, they're wowowow wines!

64 wines tasted, including one with 97, four with 96 and seven with 95.

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2025 DRY FURMINT

Balassa  Tokaji Dry  Furmint  Duck  2025 - 13% / The Cloudy Bay of Tokaj! So fresh, juicy and vibrant, this is a joyful and self-confidently modern expression of the Furmint. So crisp and refreshing and the touch of minerality at the finish accentuates this. Fermented and matured two thirds in stainless steel and one third in oak.  This might well be the best selling Hungarian wine in Australia. 91 (SP)

Sauska  Tokaji Dry  Furmint  2025 - 13% / This has the depth that I expect from dry Furmint,but it is a lot more charming than the majority of wines of this category at this youthful stage. Fresh quince aroma underlined by delicate leesy notes. Lovely silky texture, the tannins building gently at the finish. That suggests this can be drunk equally well after some years of bottle aging as it can be now. 92 (SP) 

2024 DRY FURMINT

Balassa  Tokaji Dry  Furmint  Mézes-Mäly Villö  2024 - 13.5% / Very smooth and silky on the elegant palate where the power and concentration are deftly underplayed. Very discreet fruit, the quince note most prominent, but by no means loud. Long, refreshing finish for the hot, dry vintage. 94 (SP)

Balassa  Tokaji Dry  Furmint  Szent Tamás  2024 - 14% / The wealth of stone fruit her einvites you to sink down into it. Concentrated, yet so graceful and finely-nuanced this is a stunning example of what may be Tokaj’s greatest vineyard site. The alcohol is beutifully integrated at the long silky finish. 95 (SP)

Gróf Degenfeld  Tokaji Dry  Furmint  Zomborka  Organic  2024 - 13% /  Such a fresh and zesty wine, this also has a well-crafted tannin structure that neatly underlines the bright fruit. Very clean and crisp finish that makes it extremely refreshing. 91 (SP) 

Demeter Zoltán  Tokaji Dry  Furmint  2024 - 14% / What a delicious introduction to the dry wines of the Tokaj region. For a young dry Furmint this is a very expressive wine with deep white tree fruit and Amalfi lemon aromas. Mouthfilling richness and creaminess is married to the vibrancy of the Furmint grape plus an intense wet-stone minerality to create a stunning harmony. 94 (SP)

Disznókö  Tokaji Dry  Furmint  2024 - 13% / This youthful dry Furmint has quite an austere stony structure, but the delicate white peach and Asian pear flavours and a touch of creaminess give it some charm. Quite a firm finish, but with salty minerality. Vinified exlcusively in stainless steel and matured sur lie for several months before bottling. 88 (SP) 

Kvaszinger  Tokaj Dry  Furmint  Hatalos  2024 - 14% /  The bright nose of white flowers and white peaches doesn’t prepare you for the power and volume on the palate, but the juicy fruit carries it. Quite a bold, firm finish. 70% was matured in stainless steel tanks ands 30% in oak casks with batonage. 89 (SP)

Pelle Tokaji Dry Furmint  2024 - 13% / Quite flora and juicy for a young dry Furmint. Light front palate, but a solid, quite crisp finish.  All of this was fermented  in stainless steel, then one third was moved to a 500 liter oak casks for some months of maturation, before blending and bottlng. 88 (SP)

Pelle  Tokaji Dry Furmint  Szent Tamás  2024 - 14% / Very fresh and really concentrated, this is just beginning what will surely be a very long life. However, the wine is already graceful in spite of the ample  tannins that anchor it. Very long pristine, wet-stone finish. Complex aromas of Mirabelle plums and floral honey.  From 65 year old vines in one of Toakj's most famous vineyard sites. 94 (SP)

Royal Tokaji  Tokaji Dry Furmint Vineyard Selection  2024 - 13% / A remarkably floral dry Furmint with aromas of ripe citrus and pear.  Intense salty minerality on the sleek, but many-faceted racy palate. Long salty finish with a touch of preserved lemon flavour. 93 (SP)

Royal Tokaji  Tokaji Dry Furmint  Mézes Mály  2024 - ??% /  This very distinctive dry Furmint deftly balances restrained candied orange richness with salty and stony minerality in a way that reminds me of GG / Grand Cru dry Riesling. Serious tannic power builds at the powerful, structured finish. Still very young, but great potential! 95 (SP)

Royal Tokaji  Tokaji Dry Furmint  Úrágya  2024 - ??% / Still quite closed, but the elegance of this single-vineyard dry Tokaji is already stunning! Delicatemid-palate creaminess and a long silky finish complete the beautifully composed picture. Intense saltiness at the long,refined finish. 94 (SP)

2023 DRY FURMINT   

Barta  Tokaji Dry  Furmint  Öreg Kiraly Dülo  2023 - 13% /  Complex nose of blossoms and lomon zest that’s just beginning topickup some bottle-maturation character. Then, concentrated dried pear, Asian pear and Amalfi lemon character on the sleek and focused palate. Long and stony finish. Vinified in stainless steel and large Hungarian oak. From the steepest part of this high-altitude vineyard site. 93 (SP)

Disznókö  Tokaji Dry  Inspiration  2023 - 13% /  Quite floral and leafy with a hint of honey, this dry Tokaji has a verygood harmony of creaminess, delicate oak flavours and soft acidity in the context of this region. A Furmint dominated blend with some Hárslevelü that was fermented and matured in 225 and 300 liter oak casks, none of which were new. 90 (SP)

Grand Tokaj  Tokaji Dry  Furmint  Szarvas Single Vineyard  2023 - 13.5% / Very fresh aromas of garden herbs and dried flowers plus delicate oak. At once jucy,crisp and moderately structured, this has ample substanceand good freshness.The oak pops out again at the quite bold finish. From a vineyard site with loess soil. Matured in new Hungarian oakcasks  for 9 months. 92 (SP) 

Grand Tokaj  Tokaji Dry  Furmint  Petö Single Vineyard  2023 - 12.5% /  A creamy, toasty (from oak) wine that’s well-rounded for a dry Tokaj wine. The melted butter character really smooths out the oak on the rather bold palate. From a vineyard site with plenty of clay in the soil. Matured in new Hungarian oak casks  for 9 months. 91 (SP)

Grand Tokaj  Tokaji Dry  Furmint  Kövägö Single Vineyard  2023 - 13% / A sophisticated dry Tokaj wine that’s just beginning to reach its best drinking age. The smoky minerality is deftly interwoven in the  white tree fruit. Long, elegant finish that pulls you back for more. 93 (SP) 

Grand Tokaj  Tokaji Dry  Furmint  Meszes Single Vineyard  2023 - 13% / Structured and racy, this has intense flinty and wet-stone minerality which drives it across the palate. Very energetic and focused finish with a strong expression of the volcanic soil of this site. Long term stuff that’s just beginning to open up. 93 (SP)

Oremus  Tokaji Dry  Mandolás  2023 - 13% /  A pristine and very straight wine with stacks of green apple and lime character plus some serious mineral power. Slightly steely, austere finish, but this bone dry wine is still very young. There are 130,000 bottles of this wine from vineyards with volcanic rhyolite soil! 70% is matured in used oak casks, the rest in stainless steel. 93 (SP)

Royal Tokaji  Tokaji Dry Furmint  2023 - ??% / A good introduction to modern dry Furmints this featured maturing citrus fruit, moderate acidity in the Tokaji context, plus a touch of salty minerality. 90 (SP) 

Royal Tokaji  Tokaji Dry Furmint   Mézes Mály  2023 - 13.5% /  Smoky and flinty with great depth of apricor and preserved lemon character wrapped around the firm core, this is a stunning dry expression of the Furmint grape. Beginning to mature nicely, it has terrific mineral energy at the bold long finish. 94 (SP)

Royal Tokaji  Tokaji Dry Furmint  Úrágya  2023 - ??% / Still very young and tightly-wound, but what a beauty this is with -yes it sounds contradictory - fresh, candied citrus aromas plus notes of honeysuckle, potpourri and dried other flowers. Super-racy and mineral in really primary way this may strike as a bit austere, but for me this makes it more exciting at the focused finish. 95 (SP) 

Sanzon  Tokaji Dry Furmint  Rány  2023 - 12.5% / Youthful citrus and wild herb aromas mingle in this beautifully balanced, medium-bodied dry Furmint. I love the silky texture and delicacy at the long finish. 92 (SP) 

Sauska  Tokaji Dry Furmint  Medve 2023 - 13.5% / A beautifully-crafted single-vineyard Furmint with excellent mineral freshness, delicate tannins and bright Amalfi lemon and bergamot flavours. Very pure long finish. From a southeast-facing vineyard with a volcanic tuff soil. Vinified in a mix of oak casks, amphoras and ceramic containers with long maturation on the fine lees. 94 (SP)

Szepsy  Tokaji Dry Furmint  2023 - 13% / For an entry-level wine this is extraordinarily original with masses of smoky minerality! Powerful and concentrated, but not a jot overdone. Emphatically dry, structured finish. 93 (SP)    

Zsirai  Tokaji Dry  Furmint  Középhegy  One and Only  2023 - ??% /  I love the rich Mirabelle plum and yellow peach fruit, also the honeysuckle aroma. Juicy, medium-bodied with an appealing lightness of touch. Clean and polished finish. From the new 7575 Furmint clone, vinified only in stainless steel.  91 (SP)

2022 DRY FURMINT

Demeter Zoltán  Tokaji Dry  Furmint  Boda Vieilles Vignes  2022 - 13.5% / An extremely sophisticated and graceful dry Furmint with a silky texture that glides over your palate and off into the distance. Very subtle white tree fruits with a touch of white currant. Delicate wet-stone minerality at the very long finish. A limited production wine  from more than one hundred years old vines! Great aging potential. 96 (SP)

Oremus  Tokaji Dry  Petracs Single Vineyard  2022 - 13% /  Still young, this excellent single-vineyard dry Furmint is just coming into its stride. Compact and tightly-wound, this has great minerality, pomelo and grapefruit peel character. Crescendo finish with great precision. Yes, you can certinly drink it now, but this has terrific aging potential (asthe 2015 showed). From a vineyard with volcanic andesite soil. Fermented and matured in a mix of French and Hungarian oak. The 6th vintage of this wine. 95 (SP)  

Patricias  Tokaji Dry  Furmint  Sajgó  2022 - 14% / Although this is a big dry white it is very cool and fresh. Plenty of white tree fruit,also shiso leaf and fresh mint. The pronounced wet-stone minerality underlines the freshness, but the finish is boldand quite tannic. From more than 60 year old vines from the period before clonal selection. 91 (SP)

Patricias  Tokaji Dry  Furmint  Profundum  2022 - 13% /  This has a slug of oak in it, but the wine is too bright and sleek to fully integrate the oak component. Good white tree fruit and some cooked quince character. Fermented in Hungarian oak barrels of225 - 500 liter capacity. 86 (SP) 

Sanzon  Tokaji Dry  Furmint  Classic  2022 - 13% / Although this has a touch of toasty maturity in the bouquet it also has a wonderful vitality, and on the sleek palate it tastes a lot fresher than the nose suggests. Elegeant acidity and delicate salty minerality at the long finish. 92 (SP)

Szepsy Tokaji Dry  Furmint  Szent Tamás 46  2022 - 14% / Extremely dense and silky, this is a materpiece of the refinement that this region is renowned for, but in the dry direction rather than the more famous sweet one. And just below the waterline lie an incrediblly fine tannin structure and salty minerality that pull you ever deeper into this beautiful vortex. 96 (SP)

Zsirai  Tokaji Dry  Furmint  Középhegy  2022 - 13% /  A smokyand flinty expression of the Furmint grape with modest alcohol for the hot, dry vintage. Crisp, slightly austere finish. 90 (SP) 

Zsirai  Tokaji Dry  Furmint  Betsek  2022 - 14.5% / A rich and powerful dry Furmint with plenty of textural complexity. Quite bold on the mid-palate, but the flinty freshness lifts it. Long, nuanced, lemony and stony finish.  93 (SP)

2021 DRY FURMINT

Dobogó  Tokaji Dry  Furmint  2021 - 14% / A beautiful maturing dry Furmint with a touch of sealing wax character, but the delicate candied citrus aromas stand in the foreground and there’s just a hint of sherbet in the background. Very silky palate with underplayed power and concentration. Very long, mineral finish. 94 (SP) 

Kikelet (Berecz Stéphanie)  Tokaji Dry  Furmint  Lónyai  Dülö  2021 - 12.5% / Very young and pristine for its age. Super-racy and mineral,this is quitely wound at the behinning, but after a little aeration in the glass Amalfi lemon and floral notes develop.   From a vineyard with loess over volcanic rock.  Wild-fermented and matured in a 500 liter barrel of Hungarian oak for 7 months. 93 (SP)

Királyudvar  Tokaji Dry  Furmint  Sec  2021 - 13% / Cool and sophisticted with subtle herbal and mineral character, this dry Furmint has excellent depth und underplayed power on the finely-etched palate.  93 (SP) 

Sauska  Tokaji Dry  Furmint  Birsalmás  2021 - 14% / In spite of the modern winemaking this is quite a big and bold dry Furmint, well-integrated tannins and stacks of caramlized quince character. From a vineyard site with rhyolite bedrock. Vinified in a mix of oak casks, amphoras and ceramic containers with long maturation on the fine lees. 93

Szepsy  Tokaji Dry  Furmint  Nyúlászó  2021 - 13.5% / In any context this is a world-class dry white wine thanks to themind-blowing interplay of floral honey and candied cirtrus character with intensely mineral acidity and a very complex and delicate spiciness at the extremely long and dynamic finish. Delicious now, but surely has a future that willmeasure in decades! 97 (SP) 

Tokaji-Hétszölö  Tokaji Dry  Furmint  Kis-Garai Dülö  2021 - 13.5% / This crisp and slightly austere dry Tokaji wine has quite some tannic power and plenty of dried flowers and drier pear character. Long, zesty and pithy finish. 92 (SP)

2008 DRY FURMINT

Demeter Zoltán  Tokaji Dry  Furmint  Lapis  2008 - 14% /  Anyone who doubts the ability ofdrywines from Tokaj to age well should taste this stunning mature wine that has such complexity and elegance. A touch of sealing wax character augments the dried and cooked peach aromas that fill out the generous, yet clean and precise palate. Long creamy finish with marzipan, Amalfi lemon and herbal flavours. 95 (SP)  

DRY HÁRSLEVELÜ

Gróf Degenfeld  Tokaji Dry Hárslevelü  Organic  2025 - 12.5% /  What a fresh and expressive wine for this grape. Juicy, orange fruit.Not complex, but very clean and bright with so much freshness. Not bone dry, but already enjoyable. 88 (SP) 

Kikelet (Berecz Stéphanie) Tokaji Dry  Hárslevelü  Lónyai  Dülö  2023 - 13% / The gentle tannins deftly underline the silky,generous body. Ample bergamot fruit and a touch of laurel leaf. Modearatew acidity,but there’smore than enough freshness to give this someyears of aging potential. 92 (SP)

Kikelet (Berecz Stéphanie) Tokaji Dry  Hárslevelü  Tarczal  2024 - 13.5% / A very good vilage that’s just begining to develop. Poweful and juicy with rather gentle tannins for this grape, but they also give it a solid basea nd structure. The aromas of grapefruit, yellow apple and melon skin develop nicely with some aeration. 91 (SP)

Lenkey Toakji Dry  Hárslevelü  2019 - 14% / What an extraordinary nose of oolong tea, candied orange peel and forest honey.  Enormous depth, yet the wine doesn’t feel heavy. I love the bitter orange marmelade character at the long, mellow  and texturaly coomplex finish.  Wild-fermented and matured in Hungarian oak barrels for 4 1/2 years. 95 (SP)

Pelle  Tokaji Dry  Hárslevelü  Makovicza  2023 -13.5% / The wines of this grape can be awkwardly or astringently tannic, but this has good energy and candied lemon slice fruit. The mid-palate richness easily harmonizes this grape’s mid-palate astringency, then a long,harmonious finish. 92 (SP)

Sanzon  Dry Tokaji Haslevelu  Rány  2022 - ??% / So vibrant and crisp for this grape and four years old! Stacks of candied orange peel, apricot kernel and quince aromas. Gentle astringency for the grape that neatly meshes with the freshness at the long, bitter orange finish. 93

Zsirai  Tokaji Dry  Hárslevelü  Középhegy  2022 - 13.5% /  An unusually cool and flinty dry wine for the Hárslevelü grape,and evenmore so for this vintage. Dried flower and candied lemon aromas with just a touch of floral honey. Long, zesty, lemony finish that pulls you back for more. 93 (SP)      

DRY WHITE CUVÉES

Filep  Tokaji Dry Furmint / Hárslevelü 2023 - 13% / With its driving minerality and elegance - what a combination! - this tastes like a high-end single-vineyard dry Tokaji. If you like wet-stone character then the finish is going to light your fire! So pure and precise and the long, moderately salty finish. 94 (SP)

Kikelet (Berecz Stéphanie)  Tokaji Dry  Väti Dülö  2023 - 13.% / An excellent introduction to dry Tokaj whites, this marries the „vertical“ structure of Furmint with a nice mid-palate richnessfrom Hárslevelü. Plenty of nutty apple and quince aromas. Long, supple finish where the creaminess neatly integrates the touch of tannin. An 80% Furmint, 20% Háslevelü cuvée. that was matured for 6 months in 500 liter barrels of Hungarioan oak. 93 (SP)

Kvaszinger  Tokaji Dry  Furmint / Hárslevelü  2025 - 12% / Very bright, crisp and fresh this is surprisingly aromatic for ayoung dry Tokaj wine. Plenty of green apple and crisp pear flavours.Zesty and spritzy finish. A cuvée of 70% Furming and 30/ hárslevelü.  88 (SP) 

Lenkey  Tokaji Dry  Ürágya  2018 - 12.5% / A very cool and flinty wine for such hot and dry year, this marries underplayed power with generous creaminess and pronounced stony minerality that exapnds and expands on the extremely long, intense finish. This is still youthful and slowly. A cuvée of Furmint and Hárslevelü that was wild fermented in stainless steel and Hungarian oak barrels, then was blended and matured in oak barrels for a further 2 1/2 years. 96 (SP)

Pelle  Tokaji Dry Betsek  2021 - 14% /  Cool and delicate, but with racy acidity and great mineral drive on the tightly-wound palate.  Very long steely and spicy finish. From 75 year old vines that’s a field blend based on Furmint with 30% Hárslevelü. 94 (SP)

Sauska  Tokaj  Cuvée 113  2025 - 13% / Very aromatic with obvious Sauvignon elements (passion fruit, yellow capsicum and floral notes) this is fresh and juicy with a lot of immediate charm. Very clean and polished. A cuvée of the traditional Tokaj varietals plus Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay, which is vinified in stainless steel tank but without fulfites until shortly before bottling. 91 (SP)

Zsirai  Tokaji Dry  Unmarked  2022 - 13% /  Quite flinty with restrained fruit on the slightly rustic, rounded palate. Slightly austere finish although the acidity is moderate. A cuvée of 90% Furmint and 10% Hárslevelü. 86 (SP)

DRY SZAMORODNI

Disznókö  Tokaji Száraz Szamorodni  2020 - 12% / Complex organge zest, savoury and floral honey aromas with a hint of fino sherry. Very interesting combination of textural richness with animating acidity and mature candied citrus peel and dried apricot character. Long, delicately salty finish. 93 (SP)

Hétszölö  Tokaji Száraz Szamorodni  2018 - 13% /  Lifted nose of dried orange peel and toasted almonds. Powerful, matured and creamy with some tannin helping to balance this. Modest acidity in the Tokaj context. 83 (SP)

Royal Tokaji  Tokaji Száraz Szamorodni  Mézes Mály Dülö  By Appointment Only  2016 - 12.5% / This reminds me very much of long aged manzanilla sherry wthanks to the nutty character (think salted almonds) as well as floral honey. Bold and bone dry on the palate with a crisp and salty finish. A Pure Furmint that was aged under flor yeast for 5 1/2 years in 300 liter oak casks. 93 (SP)

DRY MUSCAT

Lenkey  Tokaji  Sárga Muskotály  2004 - 12% / This current release was matured for 20 years in Hungarian oak casks and it’s still dangerously alive! In fact, it redefines what dry Muscat can be. Very concentrated and racy, but also with an amazing textural complexity. A cornucopia of candied fruit flavours cascade over you at the incredibly long, spicy finish. Hard to adequately put this unique experience into words! 96 (SP) 

CHARDONNAY

Balassa  Hungary  Chardonnay  Felsö-Magyarországi  2025 - 13.5% / It’s amazing how the terroir character has trumped thev aromasof the grape variety. There’s almost no hint of Chardonnay character in this. Instead there is the coolness, crispness that I associate with this region.   The third vintage of this wine. 91

SPARKLING

Barta  Tokaji Pezsgö  Furmint  Méthode Traditionelle  2020 - 11.5% /  The effusive spring-like freshness, bright green apple fruit and lemon-mineral freshness mean that the character of Furmint grape in the Tokaji region comes through forthrightly. Not bone dry, but seriously crisp with a good interplay of restrained creaminess and  lively mousse. 90 (SP)  

Demeter Zoltán  Tokaji Pezsgö  Újhegy-Rátka Extra Brut R.D.  2017 - 12.5% / For its age this 9 year oldsparkling Tokaj wine is extremely fresh and fruity. All the fruit suggests sweetness, but the wine is crisp and dry with a lively mousse. Long,creamy and lemony finish that’s delightful and subtle. 93 (SP)

PINOT NOIR

Sauska  Hungary  Pinot Noir  Padi  2023 - 13% /  A Hungarian Pinot Noir revelation! A wonderful fresh, fragrant and elegant Pinot Noir. And in spite of that it has healthy fine tannins. And the long finish is wonderfully mineral. 94 (SP)