HOLDVÖLGY Meditation 2021

Expression is a 100% Hárslevelű dry white wine, produced in the prestigious Betsek terroir, one of the Tokaj crus classés . Made from vines over 40 years old planted on clay-volcanic soils rich in rhyolite, andesite and zeolite, this wine is the result of manual harvesting and sustainable viticultural practices, respecting the environment.

The vinification of this wine is carefully orchestrated: direct pressing of the grapes, fermentation and aging in Seguin Moreau oak barrels (around 5 to 6 months), without excessive intervention to preserve the expression of the terroir and the purity of the grape variety . This method guarantees a perfect alliance between minerality, subtle woody elegance and aromatic finesse.

This wine reveals complex notes of jasmine, chamomile, William pear , mirabelle plum, white grapefruit , tea leaf, thyme and spices . On the palate, the wine is lively, mineral and elegant, carried by a nervous acidity, a beautiful body and a saline finish.

It was the Romans who planted the first vines at a time when the Country was part of a region called Pannonia. It was at the dawn of the 18th century that Hungary, united with Austria, ensured the export of its most famous wine throughout Europe: Tokaj (from the Furmint grape variety). As throughout Europe, in the 19th century, viticulture was destroyed by phylloxera. During the communist period, vineyards were managed in cooperatives which guaranteed a stable income for wine producers. Quite a few small winegrowers were unable to keep up with this growing economy, so the Hungarian vineyard was restructured, losing 30% of its surface area in the process. Nowadays, many family estates have emerged, some of which produce wines of incredible quality. As everywhere in Europe, viticulture is in decline as part of the European restructuring plan for the wine industry. Hungary, which is at the same latitude as Burgundy, has a continental climate with hot summers and cold winters. The rainfall is sufficient for non-irrigated viticulture and the soils are heterogeneous and of high quality depending on the region. With around a hundred indigenous and international grape varieties, the country has good varietal diversity. The fürmint and the hárslevelű from the Tokaj region, vinified dry and at the origin of the great sweet wines of Tokaj, are undoubtedly the best-known varieties today. The most widely planted grape variety is Olaszrizling for whites and Kékfrankos for reds. International grape varieties, mainly Bordeaux grape varieties, flourish in particular in the south of the country where they produce high-class wines.