Hungary is not (yet) a serious rosé player, but there are some pretty good bottles out there. Sauska makes one of the most reliable pink wines, and it might be the most refined one too.
hungarian
A modern, well made Egri Bikavér: Böjt 2016
I attended Borjour’s so called Bikavér Duel event in March, where the two wine regions eligible to use the name Bikavér showcased their wines. Eger impressed me a bit more than Szekszárd, especially the Böjt 2016. I bought a bottle the next week.
Exemplary Kékfrankos: Itt és Most Pince “Ideje van” 2018, Mátra region
Itt és Most Pince is a newcomer to the Mátra winemaking scene, 2018 was their second vintage. Their Kékfrankos is already very impressive, though, a clear step up from the 2017. Continue reading
The new Szekszárd – Heimann Family Estate introduces their new lineup of red wines
At the end of January I visited Szekszárd on the Southern part of the country. Together with Villány, it is the region making the ripest, more full-bodied reds of the country, based on mostly Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc – but in a different style than Bordeaux. There is generally a slight move away from overoaked, big reds in recent years, but what I tasted at the region’s most famous producer Heimann is something groundbraking.
One to drink, not to analyze: Schieber Kadarka Trilógia 2018 from Szekszárd
Kadarka rarely gets cheaper than the Schieber Trilógia 2018 from Szekszárd. That means 5-6 Euros on shelves. I wonder if it makes enough profit for them, considering that Kadarka is tricky to grow – the tiniest bit of rain around harvest time results in serious rot and loss of crop. One of its best producers, Heimann told me once that they do rigorous grape sorting to ensure quality, discarding half the crop on average.
Cool climate Kékfrankos: Bolyki “az Óperencián innen” 2016
Bolyki is one of the most well known producers in Eger, and this is their special edition Kékfrankos, available only at cellar door. I would not be surprised if it would sell off quickly, just because of that pretty label. Continue reading
Lovely Kadarka from Toronyi, the Cinka dűlő 2017
A new discovery for me. A Kadarka from Szekszárd which is different – not without a reason.
Great value sweet Muscat – Feind Sárga 2017, Lake Balaton
Late harvest sweet whites may not be popular at the moment, but they deserve more recognition. It’s a category that Hungary can make make really well. Continue reading
Three vintages of a rare wine: Szentesi Csóka 2013, 2015 and 2017
Csókaszőlő or simply Csóka is an almost extinct old Hungarian variety, which was probably the dominant red grape here 500 years ago or so. For the XXth century, not much of it remained, but thanks to József Szentesi’s mission of saving the old varieties, it is now coming back slowly.
Hungarian Syrah with a nod to Northern Rhone – Losonci 2018 from Mátra
I’m a long time proponent of Syrah in Hungary. I believe it’s more suitable for our climate than other French varieties. Syrah could produce some of the country’s best red wines and it could also make captivating everyday wines -Cabernet and Merlot fail on that, among others.