Devasteted, now thriving

The emblematic mountain has a 1000 year old history of grape growing, since our first king, Saint Stephen brought cistercian monks here who grew grapes on the mountain. The first written evidence is from the 13th century, and the golden age must have been in the 18th century, when Nagy-Eged was famous for its outstanding wines. Then unfortunately phylloxera destroyed all the vineyards of the mountain. A small replanting took place in the 1950s, but soon the new vineyards were abandoned, because the mass production concept of the communist era did not find them economical.

When the wine renessaince took place in the 1990s, Nagy-Eged could hope in the revival. Finally Gróf Buttler Winery took the efforts to first replant vines on Nagy-Eged. The 18 hectares were replanted in 2003. Later, in 2005 Kovács Nimród Winery also planted 10 hectares for their best wines, and then St Andrea Vineyard 4 hectares.

Botrytised red wine? Yes!

Kadarka is still mostly known as an every day, light bodied, easy drinking wine with not much potential. It is really hard to cultivate Kadarka. Late ripening, sensitive, its thin skin can be affected with harmful and noble rot. The colour is medium deep ruby. On the nose rich, spicy and elegant – if in good hands. On the palate juicy, spicy, medium bodied with good acidity and low tannins. Usually consumed young, within 1–3 years, but with properly restricted yield and careful vinification Kadarka can be aged for a long time – as it is proved by some vertical tastings carried on in Szekszárd and other wine regions.

Gróf Buttler Nagy-Eged Kadarka Superior is one of the best examples, and now its new vintage is available! The 2014 is extremely intense and rich on the nose, in which we meet the character of botrytis (as Tokaji Aszú or Szamorodni). Rich in sweet spices, sweet, fully ripe red and forest fruits. Concentrated, deep, complex, full bodied wine, where the crisp acids give liveliness. Has a long ageing potential.

A mastreclass with the „three men of the mountain”

The first masterclass with the three Nagy-Eged producers took place last year, and now the second edition is coming closer. Nagy-Eged Masterclass 2.0 will b held on 26 October in Budapest, Kogart house. The event will start with a discussion, then will be followed by the tasting of 12 exclusive wines of the three wineries of Nagy-Eged mountain: Gróf Buttler Winery, Kovács Nimród Winery and St Andrea Vineyard. The discussion will be lead by wine writer Norbert Izsák. The event is from 18.0 until 22.00, it ends with a light finger food dinner and retasting of the samples. The tickets cost 16 900 HUF (55 euros) and pre-registration is needed. The masterclass is held in Hungarian, but in case an English speaker is interested, we are sure the translation will somehow be solved – and the wines will speak themselves. The above mentioned Gróf Buttler Superior Kadarka is included in the wine list.

Wine list and form to register (név=name):

https://kovacsnimrodwinery.hu/hu/nagy-eged-hegy-mesterkurzus-2-0/

If you need help, write to us: info@hungarianwines.eu

More about Kadarka Grape (from our Grape Dictionary)

Regions: Kadarka is grown almost all over the country. It has significant vineyards in the Great Hungarian Plain, where Kunság, Csongrád and Hajós–Baja wine regions are situated. Kadarka is most important in Szekszárd and Eger, the two wine regions where the famous blend, Bikavér (Bull’s Blood) is made, and Kadarka is usually one component of the blend. Total plantings of Kadarka account for less than 700 hectares.

Story: “Kadarka is said to have been introduced to Hungary from the Balkans, either by Serbians, which fits with Kadarka being the Slavic name for Scutari, a lake (also known as Skadar) between Montenegro and Albania, and with the fact that the variety was once cultivated under the synonym Skadarka in Croatia and Serbia (Levadoux 1956; Galet 2000; Rohály et al. 2003), or by Turks, hence its synonym Törökszőlő (‘Turkish grape’). It is conceivable that it made its way to Hungary via Bulgaria, where it is still widely planted under the synonym Gamza, and where it is considered to be indigenous. It is also said to be “be indigenous to the region of Miniş near Arad in western Romania, where the first sweet Aszú-style red wine was made from shrivelled Cadarcă grapes in 1744 (Dejeu 2004). The exact origin of Kadarka remains unknown but it lies somewhere within the Balkan-Pannonian area.” Excerpt From: Robinson, Jancis; Harding, Julia; Vouillamoz, Jose. “Wine Grapes (9780062325518).” iBooks.