Gere Fekete Járdovány at Taste Hungary

Fekete (literally black) Járdovány is a grape variety unknown for even local wine experts. It is practically not grown anywhere else, Attila Gere, the iconic winemaker in Villány however has a tiny vineyard of this ancient grape of the Carpathian Basin. He carries on several experiments with the research centre of Pécs, and his single varietal Fekete Járdovány is a result of this experiment. The grape extinct with phylloxera, but it came to life again in 2011, when the first vintage was made.

This rarity is available in the European Union and also in the US thanks to Taste Hungary, a company importing and selling wines in Europe and in the United States.

“In the glass, Fekete Járdovány has a pale cherry-red color with pink reflections. It has aromas of sweet vanilla, caramel, ripe black cherry, and coffee (due to the 10 months it spent aging in small oak barrels). With 13.5 percent alcohol, this reminds us of a Nebbiolo-based wine, with its pale color, elevated tannins and acidity, long finish, and flavors of caramel, cherry, and coffee. This wine represents the effort of generations of winemakers and ampelographers to revive ancient grape varieties. And we are thankful for that!”

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Interview with Carolyn Bánfalvi, co-founder of Taste Hungary

Jeff Cantor is a true connoisseur from the United States. Whenever he cooks, he tries to use original ingredients (Greek olive for Greek food etc). Jeff lives in New Yersey, US and he visited Villány wine region in Hungary about 5 years ago, multiple times.
He visited several wineries like Gere Attila, Sauska, Jackfall and also Heumann Winery. As a consequence he fell in love with Villány wines, even took some bottles with him back to the States.
Soon he ran out of the precious stock, but thanks God he realized that Carolyn Banfalvi, an American lady with Hungarian husband established a webshop in the United States – now it is so easy to get some Villány wine! Recently Jeff made some bison and paired it with Heumann Trinitás Villányi Franc. We asked Jeff about the pairing: “It has significantly more flavor than beef which is extenuated by the fact that it is grass fed. It is very lean meat with a little bit of micro-marbeling. The Cabernet enhanced the full flavor of the bison. The tannins were so smooth which cut through the richness of the bison. This truly was a perfect pairing.”

Trinitás is 100% Cabernet Franc grown on loess and limestone soil and it matured in Hungarian oak for 24 months. “Dark bright purple. Black fruits in the nose with a hint of vanilla and pepper. On the palate black berries and cassis plus a hint of dark chocolate. Well-integrated acidity and great structure with finely grained tannins. Full bodied yet elegant and fruity wine with a very long aftertaste. Great potential for further development.”

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