Karádi - Berger Borászat ― Erdőbénye ― Tokaji borok

The dry Furmint is a traditional style in Tokaj, which tends to show a new, more modern face these days. Dry Tokaj is uniquely capable of expressing the riches of terroir, faithfully rendering in its taste the miraculous minerals trapped in the volcanic soils, along with the fresh flavors of fruit ripened on the sun-drenched southern slopes. The notes of peach and pear are complemented harmoniously by hints of wood in this elegant wine.

Total of 4,500 bottles made

Made from massively sweet grapes that contain a portion of botrytised berries, the Dry Szamorodni of Tokaj is rather similar to Fino sherry, although its high alcohol is due entirely to the natural sugar content of the fruit. It is matured in small casks for a considerable length of time.

Our 2003 example has a fine light color, the scent of bread crust and fresh-baked rolls, hints of dried fruits, bread crust, and nuts on the palate, and a positively persistent aftertaste. It could be the perfect companion to dishes using mushrooms and wild game.

Recipe suggestion: Truffle-scented Mangalica pork chops with candied walnuts

Thanks to a merciful weather through the vintage year, 2007 once again gave us a fine sweet wine whose sheer concentration rivals that of an Aszú but which impresses with the freshness of its fruit. Our 2007 Selectio, made from a combination of selected overripe bunches, partially botritysed bunches, and hand-picked aszú berries, was fermented and matured in wooden casks prior to bottling. The scent of the wine is that of the overripe, orange-hued, shriveled berries with a hint of vanilla, followed by flavors of ripe pear and a markedly mineral-loaded aftertaste. Residual sugar: 110 g/l.

Recipe suggestion:: Inverted pumpkin tart with goat-cheese crumbles

We had been waiting for this wine for a long time. We had always wanted to create a wine with the density of an Aszú but without that style’s attendant suppression of bursting primary fruit aromas. Our 2006 example is characterized by a scent of peaches and pears, rich fruit flavors with a hint of honey, and a massive sweetness deftly offset by vibrant acidity. The wine’s 190 grams of residual sugar would easily put it in the Aszúeszencia weight class, albeit it lacks the requisite age of that style. It still tastes young, crisp, and vigorous. We call it Selectio as it was made from first-grade, hand-selected botrytised berries macerated in fermenting must. And we call it Selectio because it will reach only a select few – a scant 450 bottles were made.

Recipe suggestion:: Inverted pumpkin tart with goat-cheese crumbles

This is a fruity wine that still commands very crisp flavors. The vibrant acidity is complemented perfectly by aromas from aging the wine in wood. An excellent match for fine fish, this dry Furmint is an estate blend of fruit harvested from the Meszes-major, Narancsi, and Palandor vineyards.

It spent 12 months in Szerednye-type oak casks. In perfect shape at the end of 2008.

Distributed by SPAR

The Palandor, one of the south-facing vineyards on the slope of the Sajgó Hill near the village of Olaszliszka, has a superb soil composition defined by volcanic rhyolite bedrock underneath. Since 2005, we have cultivated one hectare in this vineyard. The wine was harvested from only 2500 vines, none of which was allowed to produce more than one kilo of fruit. We fermented the wine in wood and gave it periodic battonage while it matured in the casks for 12 months. Both on the nose and the palate, it shows distinctive fruity aromas with hints of toast and vanilla, and a firm minerally note that lingers in a fine, almost salty finish.

Sweet Szamorodni is a genuine late harvest wine, made from botrytized and overripe grapes, in which the fruit flavors are balanced perfectly by the oak aromas from maturation in wood. 1200 bottles in 2002.

alcohol: 12.49
acidity: 6.9
sugar free extrakt: 28.2
residual sugar: 54.4
sulphur: 19/169
pH: 3.37

Somewhere between straw yellow and gold in color, this wine is marked by fascinating, exotic aromas (pineapple and grapefruit) with a hint of smoke. These same notes are carried over into the taste, although the lively fruitiness and the slight tart note in the background represent a certain departure from the customary Szamorodni style.
Tasting notes by Thomas Zöbelin (November 2005)

Culinary recommendation:: Another winner in the company of entrées garnished with fruit, or liver dishes, or assorted cheeses - even Chinese food!

This fine wine is produced from select grapes harvested in the highly saught-after vineyards of Olaszliszka village: Meszes-major, Palandor and Narancsi. Fermented and aged in oak barrels for 12 month.
Limited to 5400 bottles.

alcohol: 14
acidity: 6.6
sugar free extract: 25.4
resideal sugar: 2.5
sulphur: 35/162
pH: 3.33

This was our last Szamorodni relying exclusively on grapes harvested from the Meszes-major vineyard. 1350 bottles only.

alcohol: 11.87
acidity: 7.0
sugar free extrakt: 35.3
residual sugar: 72.0
sulphur: 23/208
pH: 3.5

The golden color heralds a mature but still fruity wine with a complex nose mingling notes of dried fruits, apricot jam, and fresh-picked berries shriveled by botrytis. The aromas of sun-dried fruits powerfully reassert themselves on the palate.

Culinary recommendation: A feasible accompaniment to desserts not overpowered by sugar, but probably best served with fine blue cheese. We have no qualms about pairing it with foie gras or liver of duck, either.

This rich, mineral-flavored wine, harvested from the volcanic soil of the Palandor vineyard, was both fermented and matured in new oak casks of the Gönci type (20%) and three to four-year-old Szerednyei casks (80%). 1356 bottles.
Date of bottling: November 3, 2004.
Harvest: October 5, 2003; sugar degree: 21.

alcohol: 13.04
acidity: 6.3
sugar free extrakt: 22.2
residual sugar: 4.1
sulphur: 22/187
pH: 3.31

A pale straw yellow wine, with an understated herbaceous aroma slowly giving way upon contact with air to notes of apple and pear, and a hint of ripe must. On the palate, the mineral traits and the tannin from the wood combine into a masculine character. As tasted in the fall of 2005, this comes off as robust wine still full of the vigor of youth.
Tasting notes by Thomas Zöbelin (November 2005)

Culinary recommendation: Shows to best effect in the company of subtly spiced white meats. The Palandor's mineral flavors and elegant structure make it a particularly fine choice for fish and cold roast poultry.