Treasures from the chief winemaker’s wine vault

Who says that reductive wines should be drunk young? Ákos Kamocsay, the award winning chief winemaker of Hilltop Neszmély has proved the opposite several times. On the 20th of January 8 super exciting wines will be poured to give another evidence about the ageing potential of reductive white wines. The wines are available to purchase, the minimum quantity is 20, the maximum is 200 bottles.

Ákos Kamocsay and his team have collecting samples from each vintage since 1993. I am one of the few lucky people who could taste a wine from Hilltop wine vault. It was about 12 years ago, I am ashamed of it but I can’t find my notes, I don’t remember the variety, all I remember – but I remember very vividly – is the fascination I felt when I tasted the wine. It was a team harvest with my colleagues, and after tha hard day’s work Ákos Kamocsay took us to the cellar. Noble rot on the walls, dust on the pale, faded labels. Then we tasted a reductive white wine (maybe it was a Chardonnay?), and we were all amazed. It was lively, full of aromas and flavours, the body was round and full and the aftertaste lingered with us for long minutes. At the time of the birth of that wine Hilltop experimented with “cryo maceration”, but as later Ákos Kamocsay explained, the secret is the careful choice of the harvest, the method of vinification and the way of storing. “20–25 years after bottling white wines show a completely different face of them. More complex, more developed. The bottles may be covered by dust and noble rot, the labels might be faded, but the inside of the bottle is very much alive.”
I recommend wine enthusiasts to participate in this time travel, it will be really unforgettable.
Ágnes Németh

Date and time: 20 January, 18.00–22.00
Venue: Zengő wine bar, 1088 Budapest, Krúdy Gyula utca 6, Hungary
Wine list:

• Kamocsay Olaszrizling 2021
• Kamocsay Olaszrizling 2017
• Kamocsay Ihlet Cuvée 2021
• Hilltop Cuvée 1995
• Kamocsay Chardonnay 2021
• Hilltop Chardonnay 1999 Virgin Vintage
• Hilltop Chardonnay 1997
• Hilltop Ezerjó 1995 sweet

Price online: 17 900 HUF (about 45 euro)
Price at the venue: 19 900 HUF (about 50 euro)
Tickets are available here.

More about Neszmély Hilltop

Kamocsay Premium Chardonnay– winner of Hungarian Wine Grand Prix 2021

Kamocsay Premium Chardonnay – The Best Hungarian White Wine

 

 

Kamocsay Premium Ihlet Cuvée 2021

Goose liver is one of the most important export products of Hungary: more than 1700 tons are produced. So why not pair it with one of the greatest Hungarian winemakers’ premium white called ‘Ihlet’ meaning ‘Inspiration’?

“When winemaking becomes art, the outcome is a work of art. This cuvée is a wine of love. Made of the favourites, the pick of the winemaker. The essence of the Kamocsay brand.” Ákos Kamocsay has not only received the award Winemaker of the Year in Hungary, but he won a similar award in the United Kingdom as well. The winery – Hilltop Neszmély – is situated in Neszmély wine region and most known about their approachable, fresh, aromatic wines. Kamocsay Preimum wines are the namecards of the chief winemaker, his philosphy is best reflected in these bottles.
Ihlet Cuvée is always a blend, however the components and their proportions vary according to the vintages. 2021 vintage is made of Hárslevelű, Pinot Gris and Chenin Blanc, fermented and matured in stainless steel tank under controlled temperature. Juicy, fruity, creamy, full bodied – a complex wine, therefore we can pair it with rich dishes like goose liver. Here is a simple recipe.

What are those lines on the label?

Hilltop Neszmély has undergone full redesign with the so called aroma profile charts in focus. Aroma circle is an exciting tool: every wine occupies a different shape in the circle depending on the aromas it is abundant in. The new labels arrived at the shelves last year and the acknowledgement came quickly: Hilltop won „Packaging of Premium & Luxury Drinks Innovation Award” in Paris!

More about the award

Winner lines of aromas & flavours

More about Hilltop Neszmély

Meet Ákos Kamocsay at a stunning tasting on 20 January!

The venue is the popular Zengő wine bar in Budapest, and participants can taste some really old vintages from the Kamocsay’s cellar:

• Kamocsay Olaszrizling 2021
• Kamocsay Olaszrizling 2017
• Kamocsay Ihlet Cuvée 2021
• Hilltop Cuvée 1995
• Kamocsay Chardonnay 2021
• Hilltop Chardonnay 1999 Virgin Vintage
• Hilltop Chardonnay 1997
• Hilltop Ezerjó 1995 sweet

Tickets are available here.

Winelovers 100 grand tasting in Budapest

Winelovers Wine Awards international wine contest took place in June, the results are available here. The top scored Hungarian wines will be featured in a print magazine as well, plus we can taste the top 100 wines (and many more) in the glamorous palace of Hotel Corinthia Budapest on 17 September. Taste the Best Red Wine from Eszterbauer Winery (Szekszárd) and do not miss the gold winner Tornai Grófi Hárslevelű from Somló. Have a glass of the gold winner Jammertal Cassiopeia Cabernet Franc from Villány and taste two silver winner Sauvignon Blanc wines from two Etyek winery, Etyeki Kúria and Haraszthy Vineyards. And let us introduce the protagonists of our cover photo: Holdvölgy, Frittmann and Hilltop!

Budapest river cruise with 12 wineries

Enjoy a 2 hour’s river cruise with breathtaking view and wines from wineries like Jammertal Wine Estate (Villány), Lajver Wine House (Szekszárd), Hilltop Neszmély (Neszmély) or Koch Winery (Hajós–Baja).

Ticket includes unlimited tasting of the wines of 12 wineries, water and ‘pogácsa’ (a round, unsweetened piece of cake, a typical wine bite of Hungary), plus a bottle of Winelovers Sauvignon Blanc. VIP ticket is available as well with 3 course dinner and guaranteed seats with tables. Only 20 tickets are left at the moment of writing this post.

Boarding begins at 18.00, the boat leaves Vigadó port at 19.00, takes a 2 hours river cruise and returns at 21.00. The event closes at 22.00. Food is available for non-VIP guests as well. Tickets here: 14 900 HUF (37.5 euros)

More about the event (in Hungarian, but google can help…)

 

The clever label, the “Cover Girl”, Pink Panther and Unfiltered Chardonnay

Grand Prix by the Hungarian Circle of Wine Writers

The Circle of Wine Writers have selected the so called Super 12 white and red wines for the 6th time. Being on the list is prestige in itself, but to be selected the best of the best ones is a serious accolade. The Hungarian Wine Grand Prix 2021 goes to Neszmély wine region for the first time, since Hilltop Kamocsay Prémium Chardonnay 2019 collected the most points at the blind tasting. As for the red wines, Günzer Tamás Mátyás Cuvée 2018 is the winner from Villány – which is the 3rd victory for Villány wine region.

The most wines on the list are from Tokaj and Villány (4-4), followed by Szekszárd (3). 16 wines are varietal wines while 8 wines are blends. The most used variety among the Super 24 are Cabernet Franc (8), Merlot (6), Furmint (5) and Syrah/Shiraz (4).

Elegance in every drop

Kamocsay wines are the premium line of Hilltop estate in Neszmély wine region. Ákos Kamocsay chief winemaker has won several awards, among others he is Winemaker of the Year 1999. Hilltop Kamocsay Premium Chardonnay 2019 is an estate wine, the blend of Chardonnay wines from different vineyards. Fermented and matured in stainless steel with 3 months of batonnage. Bottled after 14 months. Concentrated, layered, elegant wine with typical Chardonnay notes, mainly white flesh and tropical fruits like pineapple and sugar melon. Due to the batonnage we can discover fine buttery notes and creamy texture.

About the process

The process of the selection is complicated and accurate: each member of the circle nominates 3 white and 3 red wines from the last 5 vintages. Then each member votes for the wines on the list, but in the first round they cannot vote for their own nominees. After several rounds of voting the Super 12 white and Super 12 red lists are born. Then the wine writers gather for a blind tasting to select the winners. They taste all the wines twice, in different order, in two different committees, thus the selection is rigorous.

The Super 12 white wines (in alphabetical order)

• Barta KVG Furmint– Hárslevelű 2019, Tokaj
• Figula Sáfránkert Olaszrizling 2017, Balatonfüred
• Gizella Furmint 2018, Tokaj
• Hernyák Altberg 2018, Etyek
• Holdvölgy Intuition Kabar 2018, Tokaj
• Hilltop Kamocsay Prémium Chardonnay 2019, Neszmély
• Kikelet Lónyai Hárslevelű 2019, Tokaj
• Pálffy Olivin 2019, Balaton Uplands
• Sagmeister Kanias Furmint 2017, Tokaj
• St. Andrea Mária Egri Cuvée G.S. 2017, Eger
• Szabó Cirfandli 2020, Pécs
• Tornai Aranyhegy Juhfark Top Selection 2016, Somló

The Super 12 red wines (in alphabetical order) 

• Balla Géza Cabernet Sauvignon Sziklabor 2017, Ménes (Transylvania)
• Günzer Tamás Bocor Villányi Franc 2017, Villány
• Günzer Tamás Mátyás 2018, Villány
• Heimann Barbár 2017, Szekszárd
• Heumann Trinitas Villányi Franc 2017, Villány
• Ikon Tulipán 2017, Balatonboglár
• Lelovits Tamás Villányi Franc 2017, Villány
• Takler / Eszterbauer / Mészáros / Bodri Etalon Cuvée 2018, Szekszárd
• Pécs University Estate Summa Merlot 2017, Pécs
• Sol Montis Syrah 2018, Mátra
• St. Andrea Merengő Egri Bikavér Superior 2017, Eger
• Vesztergombi Kerékhegy Shiraz 2017, Szekszárd 

The winners of VinÓvár wine contest

Last week we recommended a wine event called VinÓvár. Frankly speaking we have never heard of this event – which is not a shame, it was only the second edition. However, the organizers must be really professional or passionate – or both. The list of exhibitors was stunning, and the wine tasting attracted nearly 1000 people! With this number the event can rightly be called the largest wine event of Western Hungary.

There was a wine contest within VinÓvár: first wine experts selected the best wines of the nearly 50 submitted samples, then the leaders of the town decided which two wines will represent the town of Mosonmagyaróvár. Dr. István Árvay, the mayor of the town was pleased with the selected wines, and he added: “Our town is not situated in a wine region, yet the wine trade was looking at us for a few days.”

Burgundy style Chardonnay from Neszmély

The winner white is Kamocsay Ákos Chardonnay 2019 from Hilltop Neszmély. The wine is a brilliant example of the variety with tropical fruits and citrusy notes on the nose and the palate. A barrel aged, Burgundy style with with lovely balance and complexity.

More about Kamocsay and Hilltop wines

A Villány blend for young and old

The winner red wine is Bock 70+ 2018 from Villány. It is a blend of wines from Fekete-hegy (‘Black Mountain’) and Ördögárok (The Devil’s Dench) from 17 year old vines. The soil contains loess, limestone and loam. 50% Kékfrankos (Blaufrankisch), 5% Merlot and 25% Cabernet Franc. Bock 70+ matured for 14 months in first and second fill barriques, making it a perfect choice for those who are new to Villány wines. “The acidity of Kékfrankos adds a liveliness to the cuvée, and the alcohol is restrained on the palate. 70+ is a kind of entry into the world of great wines, but with its balance and elegant, tobacco-chocolate notes, it paves the way for wine lovers to Villány’s finest batches.“
Only 5000 bottles are available, retail price is only 4490 HUF (12.60 euros).

More about Bock 70+

Wines of the university

VinÓvár is an event organized by the town and the university of Mosonmagyaróvár, therefore it is no surprise that Széchenyi István University has selected its favourites as well.

The winner white is Holdvölgy Meditation 2018, a dry Furmint from Tokaj, while the winner red is a 2018 Cabernet Franc wine from Pannonhalma wine region by Tar Winery.

Congratulations to the winners!

The usage of social media is indispensable nowadays. In Hungary Facebook is the No1 social media platform, while in many countries Twitter is more popular. Instagram is getting stronger and stronger in our country – probably it is a global tendency –, simply because “one picture tells more than 100 words”. We have checked the Instagram page of our partner wineries, and now we will present the 9 wineries with the highest number of followers. Let’s see how they communicate, why they are successful!

 

9. Paulus Wine House

4132 followers, 128 posts

The winery is situated in Mór wine region, a first generation winery, a love project of a passionate businessman. Most of the posts are funny moments from the life of the winery. Exciting insider infos, hilarious videos, great stories and of course pics of products. In the photo the owner is opening a bottle of sparkling wine – with some difficulties.

See them on Instagram

Hilltop Neszmély estate introduced a series of gastro videos during the spring lockdown to please their followers. The chef, Evelin Fazekas cooked mouth watering and quick meals – these recipes were really popular because they helped many housewifes who had to work online, help their school children with online learning and do household duties at the same time. Shrimps & Tagliatelle is one our favourite.

The recipe – quicker than a wink

Towards the end of the festive season most of us are a little fed up with big meals and cooking those big meals. Something light and refreshing can bring some change, so let us share chef Evelin Fazekas’s recipe, which is as quick as she is explaining it.

– Cook the tagliatelle in abundant water (with a pinch of salt). When it is ready, the shrimps are ready, too.

– Put a spoon of oil and a little butter in a frying pan.

– Add the cleaned shrimps, salt and pepper, fry them a little.

– Add a clove of chopped garlic and some chopped coctail tomatoes.

– Add a handful of fresh baby spinach and pour some cream onto it.

– After five minutes add the tagliatelle, cook it together for a minute and you can serve it.

Watch the video (in Hungarian)

 

 

Királyleányka – an indigenous majesty

Chef Evely recommeds two wines to go with the meal: Hilltop Chardonnay – the acidity of the wine nicely balances the fatty cream of the pasta –, and Hilltop Királyleányka, which has lovely floral notes matching the flavours of the shrimps.

Királyleányka (literally ‘Little Princess’) is originally from Tranyslvania, the formerly Hungarian western part of Romania. Now it is often referred to as Hungarian indigenous grape variety. It is grown all over Hungary, typically in Mátra, Ászár–Neszmély, Eger, Mór, Pannonhalma, South Balaton and Pécs wine regions. It’s often used in blends, for exapmle in the popular white blend of Eger wine regon, Egri Csillag.

The wine made of Királyleányka has light yellow colour with greenish taint. It is slightly aromatic, delicate. It has a significant, but pleasant acidity. Its fresh acidity makes it a good blending partner for other, softer aromatic varieties. On the nose and palate it is full of fresh fruits and flowers.

More about Hilltop wines

 

There are two annual 100 top Hungarian wines in Hungary. One is based on the most sold wines of wine shops and hypermarkets and is published by Világgazdaság (Mediaworks). We mentioned Bock Cuvée, the top red wine and Frittmann’s top Irsai Olivér from this publication.
Now we take a closer look at the other publication called Winelovers 100 Best Hungarian Wines and published by Trinety Media Ltd. Here the tasted wines are award winner wines from more than 20 international wine competitions, plus some wines are nominated by renowned wine experts. Let us introduce you 5 wines from this top list: Etyeki Kúria Sparkling Sauvignon, Sauska Rosé Brut, Borbély Kőmagas Rajnai Rizling, Kamocsay Ihlet Cuvée and Koch Villányi Rosé.