Nose

Aromas of casaba melon, nectarine and flint.

Palate

It is full on the palate and has flavors of peach, honeydew, nutmeg and candied orange peel that are encased in a layer of shimmering acidity.

Savory and smoky, with flavors of creamy golden apple, crabapple, dandelion and salt.

Growing Conditions

Kis Tamásis making small-production wines from his organic 8-hectare property on Somló. Somló is Hungary’s smallest and most distinctive appellation. Its soils, rich in black basalt and other volcanic minerals, give the wines a distinctive smoky quality. This is the most pronounced in Juhfark, a native grape only found on Somló that is small, thin-skinned, and ideal for imparting the flavors of the Somlói terroir.

Somlói Vándor’s Öregtőkék (old vine) Juhfark from 2023 is particularly volcanic and rich, since he only harvested his old vines in this challenging vintage.

2023 was a challenging vintage, according to Tomi. There was a lot of rain and hot days, which kept them busy with plant protection against viruses. In the end, he says that the vintage was amazing with great harmony.

The grapes here were picked from 4 different parcels on Somló, but Tomi only chose the older vineyards in 2023, where the grapes remained stable during the rainy periods. The vines are 25 years old. The soil on Somló is black basalt-rich loess with clay and sand. All of the vineyards are grown organically, with no pesticides or herbicides used.

Harvest

The harvest took place on September 10. Grapes were picked by hand.

Winemaking

After destemming and a quick open basket press, the wine runs off the must overnight, and is then transferred to 200, 300 and 500 L Hungarian and French oak barrels (90% used and 10% new). The wine was spontaneously fermented with native yeasts in these oak barrels.

Unfiltered and unfined, vegan.

Sulfur dioxide at bottling (free/total, in mg/L): 6/35

Aging

Aged on the lees for 8 months in used and new 200, 300 and 500 L Hungarian and French oak barrels. After aging, the wines are bottled on the estate.

Appearance

A medium gold wine