Château Dereszla Tokaji Dry 2023

Château Dereszla is an established Tokaj producer better known for its botrytis sweet wines, but it also makes this dry white from the region's native grapes, a blend led by Furmint and Hárslevelű with a little Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains and Kabar. Tokaj sits in northeast Hungary on volcanic soils of decomposed rhyolite and loess, and that geology gives the dry wines a firm mineral spine and high natural acidity. The hand-picked grapes are pressed and the must ferments in stainless steel at a controlled cool temperature, a method that protects the aromatics and keeps the wine fresh and precise, with no oak. Furmint brings the structure and green-apple acidity, Hárslevelű adds body and a floral, honeyed lift, and the small Muscat share brings perfume. It pours a pale, bright colour and opens with lemon, green apple and pineapple over white flowers and a gingery, spicy nuance. The palate is dry and taut, the volcanic minerality reading through to a long, saline finish. Serve chilled at 9 to 11 degrees.