Fehérvári Grand Rouge & Fehérvári Pinot Noir

God listened to my prayers. It happened a couple of times that I spent a few consecutive days in Somló, and as much as I adore the magnificent white wines of the volcanic Somló, on the last day usually I was daydreaming of some red wine, just for a change. Some wineries came out with red wines, but in general only one brand, only a few bottles, sold out immediately. But now Fehérvári Wine Estate has released not one, but two red wines! Welcome!

Ágnes Németh

 

Did you know?

– Though nowadays Somló is first and foremost famous for its iconic white varieties, before phylloxera devastated the vineyards, there were some black grapes on Somló, besides Juhfark, Furmint and Sárfehér.
– Vinum Somlaianum Omni Tempore Sanum–the Latin sentence means “Wine of Somló is a medication for every occasion” – for many centuries wines from Somló were considered medicine. Another saying is Vinum Somlaianum lac senum, pueris venum, meaning “Wine of Somló is milk for the elderly people but poison for the children”.
– József Antall, the first prime minister of Hungary after the collapse of the communist regime was a historian, and according to his findings the wine of Somló was credited to cure many diseases or malfunctions including constipation, hemorrhoids, male potential problems, anaemia and cold.
– Somló is our smallest wine region with only 438 hectares of vineyards (409 hectares growing), with 416 hectares white and only 22 hectares black varieties.
– The most important grapes now: Olaszrizling (99 hectares) Juhfark (78 hectares), Furmint (77 hectares) and Hárslevelű (25 hectares).
– The most planted black grape is Syrah (6 hectares), Kékfrankos (4 hectares), Zweigelt (1.6 hectares), Cabernet Sauvignon and Pinot Noir (both around 1.3 hectares).
(Source: “HNT”, The National Council of the Wine Communities Hungary)

The kiss of Somló and the ruby queen

Grand Rouge 2021 (Syrah)

As the estate says, “the kiss of Somló” was made from carefully selected Syrah grapes from their sunny, northern vineyards. After fermentation with manual punching down of the cap, it was aged in new oak barrels. “Alongside its shade leaning towards purple, it has a rich, rocky aroma. Its taste intertwines elegance with rich spiciness, while its long finish is further enriched by a mineral character.”

Grand Reserve Pinot Noir 2021

The grapes were picked on the northern, rocky, sun-drenched slopes of Somló. After fermentation with manual punching down of the cap, it was aged in new oak barrels. “Its colour is ruby ​​red, with intensely fruity and spicy aromas, enhanced by the smokiness of the barrel. It’s a lively, complex wine with serious ageing potential.”

Both wines cost 9999 HUF / around 25 EUR on the winery webshop.
More about Fehérvári Wine Estate

Fehérvári wines are available in some countries, for example in the Netherlands on Wijndruppels.nl or in Poland on Winawulkaniczne.pl.

Our earlier article about Sárferér – and ancient grape of Somló

Sárfehér – a rare grape even in its homeland