KARDOS TUNDERMESE LATE HARVEST

Tasting notes:

Rich intense mandarin flavours with a honey note suggesting botrytis fruit. Textured with a vibrant acidity that pevents the sweetness from becoming cloying. Very drinkable, this doesn't need food and has a finish that just goes on and on.  

About the wine:

Sourced from Betsek, Szilvás, Danczka vineyards (medium-high cordon, average age of vines 35 years) Hand-harvested into small plastic containers from 2nd week of November. After destemming, one day skin maceration. Gentle pressing in pneumatic press. Fermentation in stainless steel tanks. After stabilisation and refrigeration, three months aging in tank. Fining with betonite before bottling.  

About the producer:

This winery ticks so many boxes... tiny and family owned, steeped in history, from Tokaj – the oldest classified wine region in Europe (1737), Furmint grape variety specialists, and just all round nice people.

Located in the crazy sounding village of Mád (regarded as Tokaj's most important and prestigious wine area), the vineyards have been in the family for centuries, however, the opportunity to build the Kardos winery was only possible after the Central and Eastern Europe revolution of 1989. From humble beginnings of selling wines from their cellar door and to local bars, this boutique winery started to get more serious when the owners son, Gábor Jnr. came on board full time in 2008.

Abandoning a law degree for the land, Gábor Jnr started modernising the winery, introducing strict yield restrictions, multiple bunch selection and selective harvesting techniques – all of which dramatically increased overall wine quality. With vineyards in Mád and the two neighbouring villages of Rátka and Bodrogkeresztúr, Kardos produce (in the words of Gábor Jnr) “Characteristic dry white Tokaji and late harvest sweet wines by optimising the exceptionally characteristics and extraordinary uniqueness of the Mád terroir”.

They also craft the rare Tokaji Aszú only in exceptional vintages and only then in limited quantities. Their philosophy is to ‘Create of as natural wines as possible from concentrated, healthy, raw materials, in a clean environment and with as little intervention as possible'. Kardos wines are distinct, extremely tasty and of the highest quality... definitely a winery to keep an eye on.

Food match:

Perfect on its own or with a tropical fruit desert or even a fruity Middle Eastern savoury dish.  

This wine is suitable for vegetarians and vegans.