Keep an eye on Hungary’s Mátra wine region, some fascinating developments are taking place in this sleepy part of the country.
Exciting new wines to emerge from Hungary’s Mátra region
local varieties
Szentesi Tihanyi Kék 2019
A wine that I started to follow a few years ago – Szentesi Tihanyi Kék. Such an exciting and exotic wine, I can’t get bored of it.
A stunning red wine from an ancient Hungarian variety – St. Andrea Kis Fekete 2017
I’m a fan of the ancient Hungarian grape varieties saved from extinction by wine hero József Szentesi, and I already covered some vintages of his Csókaszőlő here. Here we have a Csókaszőlő from another great producer called St. Andrea, from the northern region of Eger. A different style, but this is even better than the Szentesi versions I wrote up last time.
So special: Szentesi Fekete Muskotály 2018
Before raving again about a Szentesi wine, I should probably mention that I’m not always satisfied with his wines. I find quite a few which is not faultless, and I attribute that to his non-interventionist philosophy. But the successful ones are just so exciting… as is the Fekete Muskotály.
A wine like no other – Szentesi Tihanyi Kék 2018 from Nadap, Etyek-Budai wine region, Hungary
I could not name a more exciting Hungarian red wine than Szentesi’s Tihanyi Kék. It’s even more individual than his Csókaszőlő, though both are highlights for me from his range of wines, in every vintage.
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.