One of my favorite wines from our last Kékfrankos blind tasting, held just before the latest COVID restrictions. Admittedly it was not a strong line-up, though.

A newcomer to the quality Kékfrankos game in Hungary, Dubicz is a big producer in the Mátra wine region, one that I associate with cheap supermarket whites and reds. This is their first attempt to make a more substantial wine if I’m not mistaken. It comes from one of the most exciting terroir of the region, from the Sár-hegy (Mud hill), whose potential is yet to be discovered – it’s sadly almost entirely covered with plantings created with quantity, not quality in mind.

An overoaked wine – fruits buried in smoky, charry oak notes, yet it’s a promising wine, not without appeal. Too much wood, yes, but tasting it aside of many similarly priced Kékfrankos’, it’s undeniably the most complex and long one. The crisp acidity and the leaner body is absolutely varietally correct, and it’s alcohol is pleasantly moderated – only 12,5%. A wine to follow, I would love to taste coming vintages. And just put this away for a year or two.