Collection: Stephen Bencze

István founded his estate on the Szent György Hill in 2011, which reached its final size of nearly 30 hectares step by step between 2011-2024. He has been working organically since the beginning, and since 2015 he has farmed the entire estate biodynamically (Demeter certified), with the goal of exploring old Hungarian grape varieties and the full potential of the terroir.

The vineyards are divided into three main units, each situated at different altitudes on the southern slopes of Szent György Hill. The most prominent parcel is Templomdombi, densely covered with basalt and lying at 220–280 meters above sea level. The soils are a complex mix of basalt, tuff, Pannonian sandstone, and brown forest soil, with limestone and underground water veins hidden in the deeper layers. Key varieties include Riesling, Pinot Noir, Kék Bakator ,Furmint, and Kéknyelű.

The winemaking process has become increasingly minimal, with the focus now almost entirely on producing perfect fruit in the vineyard. István encourages a semi-wild, balanced state in the vines, allowing them to develop a more natural and harmonious relationship with their environment.

In the cellar, he uses almost no electrical equipment aside from the press, working instead with gravity, free-standing amphorae of various types, and small and large barrels. The wines are neither fined nor filtered, and beginning with the 2018 vintage, he has completely eliminated the use of sulfur.