Fekete Pince was founded in the early 1970s by Béla Fekete, who became something of a legend in Somló and earned the nickname "Grand Old Man of Somló" over the decades (he's now in his 90s and drinks a bottle of his wine every day). When Béla retired in 2014, he sold the winery to a small group that included Gábor Riesz, who now runs it alongside his partner Zsófi. They work just 4.3 hectares on the southern slopes of Somló Hill — one of Hungary's smallest appellations, a striking volcanic butte rising out of an otherwise flat landscape. 

What I love about Gábor and Zsófi is that they haven't tried to modernize away from what Béla built. They still follow his long-aging approach: fermentation in 1000-liter Hungarian oak, then a minimum of two years in tank before release. That patience is exactly why this 2019 is drinking beautifully right now, and will keep going for years (a rarity for white wines).