Just by looking at the label you can tell this is a low added SO2 wine (yes, I’m trying to avoid the term natural). Wassmann was started as a biodynamic winery (the first in Villány if I’m not mistaken) and I loved some of their early wines. Continue reading
Rhone reds from Lidl
I’m a big grenache fan and sadly there aren’t many available on the Hungarian market, so I was happy to see new Southern Rhone reds popping up in Lidl recently. I cannot say they impressed me, though.
Lovely Beaujolais: Domaine du Mont Verrier Villages 2022
Cheap white burgundy: Famille Perrachon Bourgogne blanc 2022
Continuing with exploring easily available and affordable white burgundies, the next bottle is from Famille Perrachon. Compared to the previous one, the Cave de Viré VV, this is not a Macon but a straight Bourgogne, for the same price basically and from the same vintage. A clear step up in quality. Continue reading
Supermarket wines: Eszterbauer Tanyamacska Kékfrankos 2021
I liked the 2019 vintage of Tanyamacska and have been following the wine since that release. The 2020 was a little step back but still good, and the current 2021 is unfortunately disappointing. I must add that in my view 2021 is a poor vintage throughout Hungary – most wines are sharp and sour to taste, lacking balance and drinkability.
Can cheap red Burgundy be good? Doudet-Naudin Macon 2020
After some search, this was one the cheapest red Burgundy I found online in Europe – admittedly I mostly looked for merchants in Germany, as they are the most reliable and they almost always deliver wines to Hungary (and at a fair price). These days you won’t find many wines from this genre that cost less than 10 €, and those, just like this one, are most likely not a pinot noir, but a blend with gamay. It’s very good nevertheless.Lovely Loire Valley cabernet franc: Yannick Amirault La Source 2021
Based on recent vintages, the general quality of Loire Valley cabernet franc is quite high in my experience – at least in the 7-15€ range. These wines have a soul, they are pure, terroir-driven and absolutely delicious. The entry-level red from Yannick Amirault is no exception.
Supermarket wines: two reds from Bock
Bock is one the most well-known names in Hungary, one that even not wine drinking people are familiar with. Big, expensive reds made them famous three decades ago, when Hungarian wine started basically from scratch (after the Communist rule, which ended in 1989), but they make lots of cheap(ish) wine for supermarkets.
Bondar Rayner Vineyard Grenache 2021
Australian grenache for the purists.Supermarket wines: Lidl Pinot Grigio delle Venezie 2022
It’s hard to imagine a more enjoyable white wine for the price (5,5€). Half the bottle was gone in 10 minutes at a family dinner, I mean by me alone – I just then realised I had to slow down. It’s that delicious. Continue reading