kékfrankos

High-end bull’s blood: St. Andrea Merengő 2021

Image ~ ~ Zoltán Németi
With a bunch of friends I took a look at a few Hungarian flagship reds in December. These all have some history, in some cases stretching over two decades. They are very well-known (in Hungary) and widely distributed; they are partly or entirely blends of Bordeaux varieties (not surprisingly, as they were created in the late 90s or in the 2000s, inspired by international cult reds).

Continue reading →

Outstanding blaufrankisch: Dorli Muhr Prellenkirchen Samt&Seide 2021

Image ~ ~ Zoltán Németi
Photo taken on the Radovin portfolio tasting

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 →

Exemplary entry level kékfrankos (a.k.a. blaufrankisch): Béla és Bandi 2023

Image ~ ~ Zoltán Németi

Hungary’s most planted red grape variety is kékfrankos (a.k.a. blaufrankisch, lemberger, frankovka etc.) but it’s really unfashionable among local consumers and it’s just the minority of the producers who take it seriously. No wonder then that generally quality isn’t good. But this example from Béla és Bandi is a true exception, it sets the benchmark for affordable kékfrankos – both stylistically and qualitatively.

Continue reading →

Supermarket wines: Eszterbauer Tanyamacska Kékfrankos 2021

Image ~ ~ Zoltán Németi

 

Label photo borrowed from the 2020 edition

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.

Continue reading →