Just a €7 syrah-grenache from the Languedoc, but so enjoyable that I’m tempted to call it the wine of the month.
syrah
Great Rhone Cru: Domaine Brusset Les Travers Cairanne 2020
It’s not the first time when a Brusset red amazes me. A top producer in the Southern Rhone for sure.
Supermarket wines – Günzer Syrah 2020, Villány
The first syrah plantings in Villány date back to the early 2000s if I’m not mistaken, and the variety is still not widespread in the region. Yet there are quite cheap and affordable bottlings around, like this one, available at 5 Euros in Auchan.
New wave Hungarian red: Vylyan Vörös Variáció 2021
Villány is probably still the most famous red wine region in Hungary. It’s not the most innovative, one could add, though. But here is a red which I would label as new wave, and it’s quite nice.
Magnificent Australian shiraz: Tyrrell’s 8 Acres 2018
Tasted at the same event as the Wendouree shiraz, this is another amazing wine from Down Under. I bet this would not look out of class when placed next to the very best syrah from France… Continue reading
The best wine I tasted in 2022: Wendouree Shiraz 2019
Wendouree is one of the hardest wines to get. Unless you live in Australia and you are one of the lucky few who are on the mailing list of this legendary producer. The only reason I tasted their wines during the last decade is that a friend of mine from Sydney brings one or two every year when he is visiting us here in Budapest. But this was the first time for me in 2022 July to taste the shiraz, probably Wendouree’s most highly regarded red. Continue reading
Caves de Tain Saint-Joseph Nobles Rives 2019
A powerful Saint-Joseph syrah. Good, yes, many will love it, but it lacks some Northern Rhone charm for me.
Cote Mas Syrah Grenache 2020
I loved the 2019 version of Cote Mas Syrah-Grenache, and while a bit surprising, the 2020 is again a nice bargain.
Supermarket wines – Aldi’s Csányi Villányi Shiraz 2021, a great value red
As a winelover you won’t often find a Hungarian red for 1100 HUF or 3 Euros which is worth drinking. But the Csányi Shiraz is an exception, it always delivers, and the 2021 vintage is no exception. Continue reading
Barossa Shiraz done well: Kaesler Reach For The Sky 2018
Big reds were still popular when I started to explore Barossa shiraz but they were difficult to get in this part of the World (Hungary), so there are many famous producers whose wines I never tasted. Kaesler is one of them and even though the wine world has changed since then, I still love big Aussie reds, given that they are not a caricature of a wine.