Vineyards and winemaking

Vineyards

Our estate spans 5 hectares across several vineyard sites, each with its own distinct character, together contributing to the diversity of our wines. The varying soil compositions, exposures, and microclimates allow each grape variety to thrive in its ideal environment and express its unique personality in every bottle.

Hegyalja Vineyard and Szita Hill

Our upper vineyards belong to the Hegyalja Vineyard, with Szita Hill being its most distinguished site. Recognized as a vineyard site in its own right, it plays a particularly important role in the life of our estate.

Located on Szita Hill is our 1-hectare Olaszrizling vineyard, the source of our single-vineyard and flagship wines, including our Kódex and Estate Selection bottlings. The exceptional characteristics of this site produce concentrated, mineral-driven wines with remarkable ageing potential.

In other parts of the Hegyalja Vineyard, we cultivate smaller parcels of Syrah and Côt (Malbec), along with limited plantings of Merlot and Kékfrankos across approximately 0.8 hectares. These varieties produce full-bodied, characterful red wines.

On the slopes above the Wine Terrace, we are further expanding the estate with new vineyard plantings across 0.5 hectares. Kékfrankos, Merlot, and Zeus will be planted here, with the latter offering long-term potential for the production of sweet wines.

The upper layer of soil in the vineyard consists of loess, underlain by calcareous gravel, limestone, and, in some areas, dolomite. The topsoil of the vineyard is loess, beneath which lie calcareous gravel, limestone, and, in places, dolomite - this layered soil structure gives the wines their firmness and mineral character.

Bene Vineyard

Bene Vineyard, measuring 2.2 hectares, is the estate’s largest contiguous vineyard. Its clay-loam, dolomitic soil lends the wines produced here a fresher, fruitier character. The vineyards are planted with Olaszrizling, Sárgamuskotály, Kékfrankos, and Merlot. These grapes are used to produce light, easy-drinking white wines, rosés, and fruity red wines; the estate’s Hegybora and single-vineyard Olaszrizling also come from here. These vineyards produce fresh, approachable white wines, rosés, and fruit-driven red wines, while also providing the fruit for our Hegybor and single-vineyard Olaszrizling bottlings.

Nagykút Vineyard

We will soon be planting 0.33 hectares of Furmint in the Nagykút Vineyard, located below the road. The area’s varied, layered soil structure - comprising eroded debris, Pannonian sediment, as well as marl and dolomite - provides exceptional depth and complexity.

The importance of terroir

For us, vineyard sites are far more than geographical locations - they are the foundation of our wines’ character. The soils of loess, marl, limestone, and dolomite impart a clear and unmistakable ’Csopak’ identity to every wine, whether it is a fresh, fruit-driven style or a complex single-vineyard selection with long ageing potential.

We believe that great wine is born in the vineyard. Every decision we make is guided by the goal of preserving the character of the terroir as faithfully as possible, both in the vineyard and in the cellar. Our wine-making philosophy is based on the trinity of terroir, variety and technology. The expertise and approach of our winemaker, Ambrus Bakó, shape this philosophy, which is reflected in every detail of our wines.

In the Vineyard

The foundation of our work is thoughtful, low-intervention viticulture.

Plant Protection

We avoid unnecessary interventions: we practice minimal plant protection, use organic fertilizers, and do not use herbicides.

Yield control

We keep the yield per vine low, carefully select the grapes, and perform as much of the work as possible by hand. Our goal is for the grapes to ripen healthily and in balance by harvest time.

Harvest

All grapes are harvested by hand and transported to the winery in small crates to ensure that the bunches remain intact and arrive in perfect condition.

Winemaking

We are guided by a gentle approach, even in the cellar

The grapes are gently destemmed and crushed, then gently pressed in a pneumatic press to extract the purest must possible.

We don’t rush the winemaking process, and we don’t use unnecessary technological interventions - we give each wine the time it needs.

Fermentation and Aging

Every wine follows a different path

Lighter wines are fermented and aged in stainless steel tanks - here, freshness, lively acidity, and a rich bouquet are key. The full-bodied wines are given more time. They unfold slowly, layer by layer. We age a portion of our Olaszrizling in used oak barrels - not so that the wood dominates, but to impart depth and a refined structure.

The red wines ferment in vats with manual punching down, and after pressing, they age in oak barrels for many months or even years. Here, time is not a factor, but a tool. The red wines undergo only light filtration before bottling.