I could not name a Kadarka from the last few years which was affordable and as good and well made as this entry level Eszterbauer. It even surpasses most of the expensive ones, as they are faulty to some extent, more often than not (main reason is that the variety is extremely susceptible to rot/Botrytis, harvesting healthy crop is rare, just ask Hungarian grape growers). Continue reading
The entry level, under 10 Euro Sangiovese called Pater is such an amazing rendition of the variety that I wanted to try a bit more serious version from the producer. But this Nipozzano Riserva 2017 turned out to be a disappointment. Continue reading
When thinking about young gun Hungarian winemakers, the name that immediately comes to my mind is Vivien Ujvári. She has been making standout dry and sweet whites at Barta in Tokaj, since she joined them in 2016, and by standout I mean the very best that have ever been made in the wine region – I could only recall a few early vintages of Zoltán Demeter and Szepsy that match them, and a few recent vintages of hidden gem Attila Orsolyák. Vivien’s family has a vineyard at lake Balaton, from which they just released their first wine, an Olaszrizling. Continue reading
Current vintage is a five-year-old one – it’s getting close to what’s called a museum release in Australia. It’s indeed ready to drink. Continue reading
