Born in Bordeaux and established in Tokaj since the early 1990s, Samuel Tinon was among the earliest winemaking immigrants to the region following the collapse of state socialism in Hungary. Working primarily from historic cellars in Olaszliszka and sourcing fruit from some of Tokaj’s most significant vineyard sites, Tinon is especially significant for his continued production of Száraz ("dry") Szamorodni, a historically important but now exceptionally rare Tokaj style. Produced from bunches harvested with a natural mix of healthy and botrytised berries, dry Szamorodni undergoes extended barrel ageing beneath a veil of flor yeast in partially filled casks, drawing historical parallels with Jerez or the Jura while remaining entirely distinct in profile and structure. In contemporary Tokaj where dry Furmint and modern sweet wines dominate production, Tinon remains effectively the sole producer working consistently and rigorously with the style as a central part of his range.
