Being able to taste a Wendouree in Central Europe feels special When my Aussie connection, Attila Halász came to Budapest in the summer, he brought two bottles with him actually – what a treat it was. Especially as one was the shiraz, the most admired wine of this cult producer.
Hungary’s most planted red grape variety is kékfrankos (a.k.a. blaufrankisch, lemberger, frankovka etc.) but it’s really unfashionable among local consumers and it’s just the minority of the producers who take it seriously. No wonder then that generally quality isn’t good. But this example from Béla és Bandi is a true exception, it sets the benchmark for affordable kékfrankos – both stylistically and qualitatively.
The Burgundies I can afford to buy have an amazing common feature: despite climate change and hot vintages, they still weigh in at a mere 12,5-13,5% ABV. That’s the perfect alcohol content for most wines yet it’s anything but common in other regions these days. And it’s part of the appeal here.
Real purity here. It was aged in barrels but that does not show – I like it a lot.
Hunter Valley semillon is a unique white wine style (although Australian riesling is similarly built one could argue) and while not widely available in Europe, it’s really worth seeking out. Start with this one from Tyrrell’s – it’s one of my favourite whites consumed in the last few months. Continue reading
Is it low intervention kind of funk or just the regular brett thing of this producer? Not a bad wine at all, although I prefer cleaner styles of Loire Valley cabernet franc and there are plenty of good examples out there including Couly-Dutheil and Bertrand & Vincent Marchesseau, just to name a few…
A classic that I always wanted to try. Regular Soave can be quite dull, but this is anything but dull. I liked it a lot! Continue reading