Kardos Tokaji Aszu - 50cl 2019

Tokaji Aszú is up there with the world's finest sweet wines, right alongside Sauternes. Like its French cousin, it's made from botrytized, or shrivelled, grapes, going through a careful fermentation to end up unctuously sweet and wonderfully concentrated. This one from Kardos, with fewer than 4,000 bottles made, is a classic of the style. The nose is packed with bright oranges, quince, and fresh figs, with a touch of honey. On the palate, you'll find tangerine, apricot, and marmalade. And, true to style, it’s got that lovely, zippy acidity, leading to a long, vivid finish.

Pair it with blue cheeses, rich pâtés, or a caramelised dessert - the lush sweetness and zesty acidity really bring out the best in these rich flavours.

The Kardos family have owned vineyards in the Tokaj region for centuries, but it was only in the 1990's, with the end of Soviet domination, that they were to build a winery and go about building a reputation for themselves. Their vines sit in and around the crazy sounding village of Mád - long seen as Tokaj's most prestigious area. At first, they were a bit of a boutique operation, but when Gábor Kardos Jnr came onboard in 2008 things were put on a more serious footing. And more importantly, quality of output became the focus of things. They produce both the famous dessert wines of the area and delicious dry wines. Everything is made to meticulous standards and they’re an outfit to take note of.