The 2022 vintage holds great promise, despite the significant reduction in quantity due to drought. Our dry wines showcase freshness and fruitiness, while the intensive botrytization has yielded aromatic and rich sweet wines.

Weather Conditions of the Vintage

A Cool and Dry Spring with Late Bud Break

The rainy months of November and December 2021 replenished the water reserves for the 2022 vintage, a much-needed occurrence in this exceptionally hot and incredibly dry year. Following the cold and snowy weather at the end of December, January, and February were practically devoid of precipitation. The first half of spring was cooler than usual but remained dry. As a result, the bud break was considerably delayed, commencing on April 24, in contrast to previous years.

An Extremely Hot Summer

Flowering commenced on June 1, in line with the average timing of recent years, and gracefully concluded around June 13, with a successful and fruitful pollination process. At this point, we still anticipated a significant grape yield.

Throughout the summer, characterized by extreme heat waves and drought, our vineyards remained untouched by diseases, maintaining perfect health. However, cluster development started to slow in various locations in early August. The drought resulted in a reduction of approximately 20% in the potential grape yield. The areas most affected were primarily vineyards with young vines and parcels with shallower soil layers.

Early Grape Ripening and Botrytis Causing Autumn Rains

Zéta began its ripening process towards the end of July, followed by Furmint ten days later. The clusters and berries were generally small, yet those that developed normally promised flavorsome and harmonious qualities. Furmint, in particular, ripened exceptionally early, prompting us to commence the harvest for dry white wines on August 31.

September brought heavy rainfall, regularly irrigating our vineyards until the end of the month, transforming the landscape into a vibrant spring green. October witnessed the return of dry and sunny weather, which persisted until the end of the harvest. The dry October, characterized by misty and foggy mornings, fostered intense botrytis development.

 How the harvest unfolded?

We started harvesting our dry white wines between August 31 and September 7, just one day later than our earliest recorded harvest in Disznókő’s history in 2018. Due to uneven development caused by the dry spell, we couldn’t harvest grapes for our dry white wines from the western slopes of Dorgó. To compensate, we supplemented with grapes from the lower slopes of Kapi in larger quantities than usual.

Our vines on the southern and eastern slopes (Lajos and Kapi) performed admirably, as did our luscious hárslevelű grapes.

We commenced the meticulous selection of aszú berries from the zéta and muscat grapes in mid-September. The yield was modest, and despite heavy rainfall, the noble rot manifested slowly on the thick-skinned berries. However, from early October, the grapes succumbed to the noble rot, and botrytis gradually appeared, enveloping most of the berries.

On October 6, we initiated the harvest of our Furmint grapes from the Dorgó vineyard, meticulously selecting grapes primarily intended for our late-harvest wines and aszú base wines. This was followed shortly after that by the harvest of our Zéta parcels, where each cluster was carefully detached, allowing us to isolate the precious aszú berries. The remaining cluster fragments gave rise to our opulent Édes Szamorodni.

From mid-October onwards, we continued the harvest of our Furmint vineyards using the same method: carefully picking out the aszú berries from the clusters. The grapes, now delicately fragile due to the vigorous botrytis, left no opportunity for successive passes. It was prudent to harvest everything in a single sweep. This type of harvest, characterized by its intricate selection process, involved groups of up to 120 individuals and took place daily. The selection often occurred in three distinct fractions: the aszú berries, intensely botrytized and highly concentrated cluster fragments, and clusters comprising overripe yet „green” grape berries. The latter was employed as the base must and base wine for the creation of our coveted aszú wines. Gradually, this meticulous selection-based harvest on every parcel ended on November 4.

Exquisite Wines from the 2022 Vintage

From the early September harvest, we have crafted a crisp yet mature acidity Disznókő Furmint, showcasing a fuller body and fresh fruity character compared to the previous vintage. Most of this wine was fermented in tanks, and we carefully blended the wines from several smaller tanks. Following our tradition since 2017, we have also created our „Inspiration” selection, which consists of a blend of barrel-fermented Furmint and Hárslevelű wines selected from the most promising dry wine lots.

Remaining faithful to Disznókő’s heritage, most of this year’s wines are noble sweet wines. The 2022 sweet wines were crafted from grapes with a vigorous form of botrytization. This year, the noble rot manifested itself in an exceptionally refined manner. The presence of botrytis on the grape skins was delicately thin, almost imperceptible, while it predominantly developed within the berries. Slowly and thoughtfully, it sculpted new flavors and aromas. The result is a collection of luscious and creamy-textured aszú berries that are less withered and concentrated than usual, yet deliver a pure and intense flavor profile.

Due to the succulent nature of the aszú berries, we opted for a shorter storage period. We began processing them during the harvest, deviating slightly from our customary practices in previous vintages. Given that the aszú berry skins had significantly thinned and almost disintegrated, and the botrytis had thoroughly permeated their interiors, a gentler and less intense maceration (soaking) was sufficient for extraction. As a result, most of our aszú berries were softly macerated in a peacefully fermenting fresh wine for a relatively brief period of 10-12 hours before undergoing pressing. We also incorporated some batches into active fermentation must, adhering to the practices of our classic aszú vintages. We allowed them to soak for 2 days, gently moistening them with multiple juice rounds. After maceration, the fermenting aszú wines were transferred to tanks and oak barrels, where they continued their fermentation journey.

Summary

2022 marks our driest and one of the warmest vintages to date, with some of our younger vineyards experiencing challenges during the dry summer. Nevertheless, thanks to the exceptional quality of our vineyard sites and our meticulous selection process, we crafted fresh and harmoniously balanced, refreshingly dry white wines through an early September harvest, staying true to our renowned style and unwavering quality.

Fortunately, the rains in September and October triggered an impressive proliferation of botrytis in the vineyards. This has given rise to exceptional sweet wines that embody elegance, fragrant aromas, a velvety texture, and a well-rounded acidity. Presently, we find that these aszú wines bear a resemblance to the esteemed 2012 vintage.

Additionally, we are delighted to offer an array of incredibly rich and aromatic sweet Szamorodni and late-harvest wines, adding further diversity to our collection.