FERMENTATION AND AGING
For single vineyard wines such as this one, it’s paramount to gently hand-select only the very best bunches. After de-stemming, gently crushing, and an overnight cooling maceration on skin, the freerun juice was separated and the pomace alone was gently pressed. This press-juice was then used as an anti-oxidant: its higher level of tannins allowed for a decrease in sulphur levels. 80% fermented in neutral, 500L oak barrels, with selected local yeast and no temperature control. 20% fermented in stainless steel tanks with the same yeasts. Only the best barrels were selected for the blend.
TECHNICAL DATA
Alcohol percentage: 14.2
Total acid (g/l): 7.6
C6 sugars (g/l): 8.7
SO2 at bottling: 250 mg / 35 mg
pH: 3.38
THE VINEYARD
The earliest references to Deák vineyard date back to 1560 when it was the property of the local Calvinist congregation. At the end of the 16th century, the plot was noted as belonging to local noblemen who divided the property into smaller pieces. By the 18th century, various other religious congregations have claimed the area, and documents from 1772 indicate that the only female ruler of the Habsburg Empire, Queen Maria Theresa, had decreed to officially split the vineyard into two plots: Kis- and Nagy-Deák. Deák vines are well-suited for the production of sweet, aszutype wines – but with timely harvest, they are also excellent for complex dry whites. The plot is currently undergoing replanting. Only environmentally friendly materials are used during cultivation (essential citrus oils, baking powder, nettle and weeping willow teas, for example). Chemicals, weed killers, and pesticides are categorically rejected.
VINTAGE AND HARVEST
2013 was a balanced and dry year, with botrytis occurring fairly late in the region. Healthy bunches were harvested by hand in three phases, from the end of September to early October, with a second selection before de-stemming and crushing. This approach resulted in perfect phenolic ripening and a good balance between sugars and acidity.
$ 23.00 $138.00 / 6 pk
