The 2022 harvest was one of the driest of the past decade. Medve is a 20-hectare monopole vineyard on the slopes of Bodrogkeresztúr. Surrounded by forest, with no neighbouring vineyards, the entire area is cultivated by the Sauska team. This isolation made it possible for them to experiment with organic farming here for the first time in 2019. The mixture of volcanic and rich clay soils in Medve produces wines that combine both structure and freshness, evoking the crispness of the pine trees surrounding the vineyard.

After hand-harvesting, the pre-cooled grape bunches were destemmed and kept on the skins for 6 hours to extract the pure fruit aromas. The fermentation took place in stainless steel tanks, after which two-thirds of the wine was aged in 500-litre French oak barrels, while the remaining third was matured in granite eggs and stainless steel tanks. It was aged for five months with regular batonnage, using 25% new oak barrels.

Verbena, pear and pineapple peel, with an exciting limestone-driven minerality. Medium-bodied, bright, with pronounced acidity. The texture is round, with lemon cream and a soft Catalan-style creamy-caramel palate. A long, citrusy finish, defined by Tokaj’s characteristic subtly salty volcanic minerality.
James Suckling: 96 points.