Istvan Szepsy plays in a totally different league and can not to be compared to any other wine maker in Hungary. His determination and vision is guiding him on the path to make the best wine, he gets into to so much detail one can almost possible not imagine.
I personally get sometimes the feeling he is guided by some sort of power or energy which is hard to explain. He is the leader not only in the wine region of Tokaj but also for Hungary.

Istvan was saying that despite the 20 year of political change there are still many basic things which have not been done yet.  Just by changing the flag or a political party (or maybe simply renaming them) won’t change people’s behaviour and how they deal with things. What got damaged during the 50 years of communist ruling has to be restored and it takes a great effort. The individual wine making was wiped out completely and the co-operative only production got introduced, mass production was the calling card. The only way to go now is forward, and restore the world brand and reputation of Tokaj.

The change happened in other wine regions much quicker than in Tokaj, like in Villany the transition got completed in no time. Tokaj went down the line of the big producers; estates were founded mainly by foreign investors who realised the potential in the region. Few Hungarians producing and bottling their own wine in a rather bigger scale.

Fewer and fewer people make wine in the region and the kind of Szepsy „breed“ is very rare, tradition goes back more than 100 years. Hungarian family with deep roots into wine making, committed to the land, grew up here and know the region inside out. The region itself is very different if you compare it to the other wine growing areas, rather poor, as Istvan was explaining. However, rich in history, while the Romans were never in the region (they made it to the ‚limes‘, river Danube) but other people before their time settled down, like the Scythians.

Tokaj today faces a reputation of mass production, 80% of the Wine regions Council prefers this way, as Istvan was saying and they would vote 9 against 1 on any issue regarding to whole of the wine region. This was one of the reasons that he decided to start doing things (e.g. protection of origin) in his home town, Mad with other people together forming a circle. The union exists only in the smaller scale. Union and be together, however is crucial in having results delivered and define the image of Hungarian wine.
The town of Mad is a good place to focus on quality, a handful of producers are there, the Circle of Mad started as a union of friends and grew and grew, Istvan said there will be even more producers joining the circle and commit to the serious work.

The Zemplen mountain range is more than 15 million years old, volcanic tectonical plates along the Bodrog River raised, and more than 1500 small volcanoes formed the Tokaj-Hegyalja region. Neighbouring Slovakia has little to do with the historical wine region of Tokaj not only is this based on historical evidence but also on geology. As simply on the north side of the Tokaj-Hegyalja range an ore mountain sits.

The Tokaj Hegyalja region has many soil formation rhyolit (in the South mainly) which is a rather clear and bright stone formation and volcanic tuff is dark and deeply coloured.
The Pannon Sea did its fair share of work many million years ago to form the regions soil and beside the mentioned rhyolit in the south there is a so called zeolit, which Istvan was pointing out, it has great attributes, retaining heat, water conducting, good drainage.
The ground soil is different and changes constantly, 2-3 m deep it can be hard some places have cracks, with lime and with lower lime contain. During volcanic time, the water pushed it out in the middle. Soil is very important for Istvan he bases the protection of origin around this, a lot of things work together in the vineyard, heath, the basin, climate, humidity and intensity of the photosynthesis. The characteristics of a particular soil pattern should be transmitted to the wine. The harmony between nature and people is for Istvan of great importance.

It cannot be emphasized enough how significant the question of the yield is. While the average yield in the region is around 100 hl/ha, at the Szepsy Estate this is 15 hl/ha for Szamorodni and for Furmint (dry wine): 30 hl/ha.  Istvan believes in the way of producing less but better and more expensive wines. There will be people who are going to buy it, better times will come as he said.

I shall point out the question of the Aszu wines fully in a separate article, but the wine region faces a dilemma. It got famous because of the sweet wine production, now Istvan‘s focus is on dry wines, you could say he in search of perfection. People drink sweet wine irregular and it is hard sometimes to get for only sweet wine accepted. While there are many wine regions in the world which focus entirely on sweet wine production, the question remains whether Tokaj should do the same. Some might say yes, other as Istvan know the region has great potential to boost some of the world’s greatest dry white wines too.

Fact is there is no need for international grape varieties; Furmint does fantastic in the region, complemented with Harslevelü, Muscat Lunel, Köverszölö, and Zeta. In the world of sweet wines there is a fierce competitions, Tokaj must show its unique side. Tradition, life and the beauty of the area, vine is part of the society and peoples life. It simply lives with mankind together, the connection to nature is important. And as Istvan was saying, it is a good feeling to belong to somewhere, it‘s his home.
Protection of origin is the key in many ways to show the progress. The balance is between dry wines and szamorodni.

Istvan called 4 levels of the mentioned protection:
-    Wine region (Tokaj-Hegyalja)
-    Mad, the town
-    Vineyard site
-    Vineyard plot/unit/block (with in the vineyard a very small section of rows/lines)

The plot is the smallest unit and the highest quality. Four types of wine will be done, Furmint, late harvest (LH), szamorodni, and aszu wine. In the later case only 6 puttonyos aszu is to be made. In the history there was no 4 puttonyos aszu, the sugar level can be adjusted in the Szamorodni to achieve the same results by picking more botrytis affected bunches/grapes to increase concentration. Strictly talking about sweet Szamorodni now.
The idea of the vineyard plot/unit works as follows: let’s say in the Nyulaszo vineyard, Szepsy has 3,7 ha and the best bit if at the rim at the crater where the stonewall is (because of soil, exposure, etc.), call it plot number 6073, now only grapes from this plot will be harvested and vinified in barrels and bottled later. This is basically picking the best bit in your already Grand Cru vineyard, but as the site is unequal, vines tend to show difference regarding their location, roots, etc., Istvan selects the very best in the greatest detail possible.

I shall give an example, Burgundy Clos Vougeot which is the biggest Grand Cru 80 something producers on 50 ha, all allowed to bottle it if the grapes are within the clos as Grand Cru. Now the lower part is probably not as good as the higher part. As a wine critic put it once, it seems everyone has only vines in the upper area and no one at the bottom. While there are obviously many other similar examples, Istvan goes for perfection. I understand his point, but it’s such deepness, you need incredible will power and determination. Convinced he does have it, that’s why he is way ahead of the others. But you need other wine makers to join you, racing with an F-1 Ferrari against “normal” cars on a racing track is boring. You need the good competition and the spirit, between each other.

He was saying great wine can something more, it’s not just good. But rather unique and cannot be copied, you have to love it.
Looking at the question when it comes to determine the very best sites, Grand Cru vineyard there are quite some records, but no official classification. Now, the question whether you classify the (sweet) adze wines or dry wines according to their site, it is probably more sensible if you do it on the dry whites. While the interesting thing with an aszu wine, that you have a base wine which can be must or wine and in addition you have the aszu pastry, those two may come different vineyard sites after all. Hence if one would be of lower classification you should not use the higher vineyard designation on your label. While with a dry white wine, the vineyard site mentioned on the label it will come entirely from it. Certainly dry wines need no botrytis, aszu wines need places which are more prone to botrytis, here the vinegar bacterium’s and wild mould, mildew can do damage to the crop, hard task overall.

As we’re focusing with Istvan on great dry white wines, we shall all accept here the basis that we go with the classification on dry wines. It is not easy to determine quality as this can be demand or style, as well while respecting other people’s opinion.

18 producers are on the circle, the association of the Circle of Mad. And more people will be joining.  As Istvan was putting it to me the way to the success is self respect, interest and the understanding. People have to see it for them self, it is worth to do it and join the others, focusing on quality. I appreciate this view and it’s probably the best, but still this is a long way to go. I tend to think with authority you could achieve results quicker.
What would Istvan say is a first class vineyard site? It has a lot of zeolit, quartz but yet in balance, Good drainage, air and the water must be allowed to flow freely, drainage. The basins are usually good yet the balance of elevation is important, good humidity and the minimizing the risk of frost. The pips need a lot of water during development and then sugar is an energy source.

When we talk about protection of origin we must consider nature in its fullest: soil, rain, fog, sunrise, temperature, ‘the terroir’, testing the wine itself and a lot more. Istvan is on the mission to elevate not only the wine region but also the international view of the dry Furmint wines into a new prospective. “In change we can believe.”

Tasting notes:

Szepsy 09/09/2009

Szepsy Birtok Furmint 2007
The estate Furmint, comes from 9 different vineyard sites. Pale straw yellow colour, with some leesy tropical fruit well pronounced picture on the nose. Quite intense and very ripe fruit. Gone through malolactic probably, hints of tobacco, vanilla, mineral and superb clean fruit. Mango, pineapple, ripe apple.
Dry, good acidity, well balanced, ripe fruit from low yields –this is very important. Good drive, great spice and mineral notes with the ripeness of apple and tropical notes. Good finish, a great Furmint.

Szepsy Nyulaszo 2007 Furmint
Light golden colour, mineral spice on the nose, ripe fruit but less pronounced intensity then the blended vineyard wine (Birtok/Estate) Furmint, less focus on ripe fruit more on the soil and minerality. Hint of flint, elegant citrus ripe fruit. Dry, very good acidity, soft spicy mineral intensity, great layers and a complex wine indeed. There is some vivid attack of the acidity and spicy minerality involved but in the background ripe fruit. Hint of mushroom, earthiness and passion notes too, but more soil, finesse and elegance.

Szamorodni Sweet 2006
Good clear golden colour, superb dense botrytis with a spicy tropical tune. Mango, apple jelly, pineapple, quince. Sweet, quite high alcohol feel (14% ABV), fairly crisp acidity, fine clean botrytis, good mouth feel, not too long but consistent with a spice, caramel, toffee over tone.

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