New sparkling wine by Borbély Family Winery

Do you want to get married? Come to Badacsony (Lake Balaton), sit on ‘Rose Stone’ and you will, according to the popular belief. And you are more likely to enchant your future partner if you serve him / her sparkling wine made of (partially) ‘Rose Stone’ (Rózsakő) grape!
Cover photo: the Rose Stone in Badacsony covered in rose petals
See the story of Rose Stone below.

Borbély Metamorphosis Extra Brut 2024

Borbély Family Winery has recently released the first traditional method called Metamorphosis. The 2024 vintage sparkling spent 12 months on the lees, extra brut (4 g residual sugar), and the base wine is a blend of Rózsakő and Furmint.
Double uniqueness, since there are hardly any sparkling wines made of Rózsakő (we haven’t tasted any, never ever), plus there is not much Furmint in Badacsony. And the sparkling wine is a super novelty of the family winery!
As Tamás Borbély commented, he had been considering Rózsakő as a sparkling base wine, since it gives a great structure of acidity in every vintage, whether it is a dry or a wet year. The sparkling wine fermented fully, and the sugar level was zero. Tamás decided to add a dosage of 4 g, to make it more elegant and richer. Disgorging is carried out in several batches, to see how the wine develops. The first lot was disgorged on 3 December, after 12 months, this is available now.
The Rózsakő–Furmint Metamorphosis boasts charming aromas, elegant, it has a saline minerality and it reflects the terroir nicely, without being excessive.
Sarah Marsh MW has just released an article about Hungarian sparkling wines, she was impressed by the versatility and mentioned Kéknyelű, as base wine of sparklings. She should come back to Hungary to taste the first sparkling wine of the love child of Kéknyelű!
Metamorphosis Extra Brut 2024 is now 6900 HUF (instead of 7900 HUF), which is approximately 18 EUR.
Borbély Webshop

Borbély wines are available in Germany (ungarische-weinauslese.de) and in the Netherlands (wijndruppels.nl). If you are interested in importing Borbély wines, contact Tamás Borbély.

The story of Rose Stone

On the way up to the top of the Badacsony, you can see a basalt mound which has fallen down from the rocks of the mountain, called the Rózsakő (Rose Stone).  It is named after Róza Szegedy, the wife of the 19th century local poet Sándor Kisfaludy. The Rózsakő (Rose Stone) not only commemorates the love of the Kisfaludy couple, but also countless lovers after them. According to a local legend, if lovers sit down on the Rose Stone while holding hands with their backs turned to Lake Balaton, they will marry the following year.
Source: Badacsony.com

When you find the one, you don’t need superstitions

Tamás Borbély, second generation winemaker, the youngest Winemaker of the Year ever likes working with Badacsony grapes, like Kéknyelű, Rózsakő, Zeusz and Budai Zöld and this new bottle fermented sparkling wine is a great example of his knowledge of terroir along with his urge to experiment. Has he ever sat on the Rose Stone with his partner? Well, he is personally not so keen on this story, but he is happily married to Barbara Borbély-Kiss, and they are happy parents with their 7-year-old son!

Rózsakő grape variety

– This grape is exclusively grown in Badacsony wine region.
– The skin is rather thick therefore less sensitive than Kéknyelű, and more productive. It resembles Kéknyelű in its characteristics and can also give high quality wines.
– A cross between Kéknyelű and Budai Zöld develoved by Dr. Ferenc Király in Badacsony in 1957 – a most logical decision to cross these two grapes, since they are often planted adjacent to each other to improve pollination.

More about Borbély Family Winery

Borbély Family Winery

Another local cuvée

Tomaj 2024 – Badacsony blended

The Best Kéknyelű of Balaton

Borbély – Kéknyelű All Star

Back to black grapes in Badacsony?

“Red Balaton” – Oraculum Pinot by Borbély from Badacsony