• Bencze
• Hungary

In 2022, István serendipitously discovered two vineyard sites planted in 2003 in Várvölgy, around 20 minutes west of Szent György-hegy. One of these is a 6-hectare Pinot Gris parcel, field-blended with roughly 5% Pinot Blanc and a small amount of Pinot Noir.

The vineyard lies just 580 metres from the Uzsa Quarry on the mountain’s western flank, at elevations between 208 and 250 metres. Thanks to its higher altitude, dense surrounding forest, and western exposure, the site is typically 3–4°C cooler than the parcels on Szent György-hegy, with slightly higher rainfall. The soils are deep, humus-rich, and notably clay-driven, with significant mineral accumulation over time.

Conversion to organic and biodynamic farming began immediately in 2022, with only a small portion of the fruit brought to the cellar for initial experimentation.

Harvested on September 6, the wine was made from a combination of whole-cluster pressed juice fermented in large fiberglass tank, to which one-quarter destemmed berries and one-quarter whole clusters were added for an 8-day co-fermentation on skins before pressing. After pressing, the wine matured in fiberglass until bottling in August 2023.

• Bencze
• Hungary
• Szent György hill
• rosé