You say Rioja and oak comes to my mind, before anything else. Too much oak. There are exceptions but you know what I’m talking about. I’m not a fan of wines tasting like coconut extract.
Rioja’s fresher side – Artuke 2024
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Blindtasting top notch Austrian blaufrankisch wines
I collected a bunch of high-end blaufrankisch bottles in the last two years and earlier this year I was finally able to gather my friends (wine merchants, wine makers) to blindtaste this impressive line-up. The Prieler winery stole the show for me, in my view they are a benchmark when it comes to this variety. Moric is a quite different story – he is a pioneer but I must say it’s hard to like the wine style. By the way, talking about style, it’s so varied from producer to producer, from natural to New World-like, you really have to look for the estate first and foremost. I took my notes after the re-tasting.
Silvia Heinrich V-max 2018
Felton Road Pinot Noir Calvert 2020
I cannot remember the last time I tasted a Felton Road pinot, it might be 10 years ago or so. Based on this 2020 bottling, not much has changed – the style is basically the same and the quality is still high. And the prices just moderately increased during the years, which is a rare thing.
Another outstanding monastrell from Bodega Cerrón: La Servil 2022
A mid-tier wine from my favourite Jumilla producer, Bodega Cerrón. If you are into monastrell or pure, new wave Spanish reds, I highly recommend you to try it.Hungarian flagship reds IV.: Gere Kopar 2020
The last wine from the blindtasting covered by previous posts is probably Hungary’s most famous big red: the Kopar from Gere. It was first made in 1997 if not even earlier, so there’s history to it; it’s made to last and I can confirm that it’s able to age for 15 years or more. Personally I often found it a bit too sweet in the past, but the current release is just great.
Chateau Larrivet Haut-Brion 2020
I wanted to put a great Bordeaux into our Hungarian flagship line-up (see previous three posts), for reference and also for fun. Tasted blind I found it a bit Italianesque with its power and warm, Southern character – thought it was from Villány. It came out at second place for me. As a compliment to the Hungarian ones, they were in the same league, at least when it comes to concentration and complexity.
Hungarian flagship reds II.: Sauska Cuvée 7 Siklós, 2019
Next in the big red lineup I mentioned last time was the Sauska 7 Siklós, a Bordeaux blend from Villány. Compared to the Merengő, it comes from a warmer region and there is no kékfrankos included in it, yet the wine is not that dissimilar.
Standout kadarka: Bock BV 2020
I quite like what the Bock crew brings out from Hungary’s native kadarka grape. With just a touch of oak this fragile variety becomes a bit more serious, yet does not lose its charm – being light and so drinkable.
Four dry furmints from Hungary
Hungarian dry furmint can be challenging sometimes. We got a reminder of that in November, when our small wine club sat together to open a bunch of white wines (I only collected the furmints here). The most expensive turned out to be the least loved, and sadly no one was even surprised…
Outstanding blaufrankisch: Dorli Muhr Prellenkirchen Samt&Seide 2021
I’m not a fan of the 2021 vintage in Hungary, but interestingly it’s a completely different story for Dorli Muhr, just outside the country border. Its her best so far I was told, and when she presented a mini-vertical of her Prellenkirchen Samt&Seide a year ago in Budapest, it was indeed the 2021 which impressed me the most. Continue reading