Looking for the perfect wine for stylish everyday sipping? Disznókő Tokaji Late Harvest 2018 is an excellent introduction to the world of great Tokaj sweet wines. Bursting with intense fruit aromas, it’s a well-balanced and delightful wine that sweetens any moment with its light freshness. 

A wine from one of the warmest vintages

2018 was one of the warmest and earliest ripening vintages in the Tokaj wine region. Blossoming started unprecedentedly early, in mid-May, followed by a hot and dry summer, fortunately free of significant heat waves, extreme temperatures, and scorching days. Despite the high temperatures and early ripening, the berries retained their acidity, making 2018 a vintage of high-quality sweet wines for Disznókő.

Early harvest with concentrated berries

The ripening was five weeks ahead of the average of the last ten years. Finely botrytized bunches, bunch parts, and often stunted grapes were harvested between 10 October and 6 November.

Structured, fresh, and balanced

Some of the whole bunches were pressed without destemming, while the most concentrated bunches were destemmed and then macerated for a short time before pressing. Fermentation occurred in steel tanks, and the wine was matured for 12 months in 225-litre oak barrels. Bottling took place in September 2020.

Made from 85% furmint, 10% lime leaf, and 5% zeta, Disznókő Tokaji Late Harvest 2018 is a deep golden yellow wine with intense aromas of pear, tangerine, and stone fruit, delighting the taste buds with rich honey and tropical fruit flavors. The nearly 13% alcohol and 138 g/l residual sugar are nicely balanced by 6.14 g/l refreshing acidity. Full-bodied and structured, it has some tannin, making it a delightful wine.

International successes

The Disznókő Tokaji Late Harvest 2018 has been awarded a gold medal at the International Wine Challenge, considered the most rigorous, impartial, and influential wine competition in the world. It’s a great honor because more than 15,000 wines from over 50 countries worldwide are entered into the competition every year, and only 500 of them are awarded gold medals.

Described as a wine with straightforward and characterful style, it is a silver medal winner at Decanter World Wine Awards, the world’s largest wine competition.

How to drink?

Disznókő Tokaji Late Harvest 2018 is the perfect aperitif for dinners with friends, family lunches, or as an appetizer or on its own. Well-chilled, it’s an excellent way to soothe the heat of summer terraces. Ideal as an early evening drink or a wine cocktail, it pairs well with delicacies such as thin slices of ham, olives, sun-dried tomatoes, and pâtés. It’s best for main courses with seafood, fish, chicken, lightly spiced dishes, and fantastic with goat’s cheese and fruit-based desserts.

Serve it cold, chilled to 11-13°C. After opening, it can be kept in the fridge for two weeks. Its freshness and fruity character are at their best when young, but it’s an absolute pleasure to drink any time within five years of bottling.

The even more promising 2019 vintage is coming soon!