With the highest score for red wines

VinAgora is one of the two most important international wine competitions held in Hungary. Altogether 929 wines were judged from 16 countries, 7 champion awards, 15 grand gold medals, 187 gold and 83 silver medals were given. We have introduced the white bubbly champion recently, and now let us present the best red wine of the contest: it is Vylyan Villányi Franc 2008.
What is more, Vylyan have collected 3 gold medals, a silver medal and a special award. The entry level gold winner Ördög (‘Devil’) is definitely a wine to stock for summer evenings!

Being elegant is rewarding

Vylyan Vineyard and Winery is led by Mónika Debreczeni and her daughter Flóra – managing the estate together now will enable the smooth shift to the next generation in the future. Mónika is a true lady with refined taste, has always been the supporter of subtle and layered wines with that certain X factor called finesse. Vylyan was the first to receive Decanter Platinum award for red wine, it was a Pinot Noir, yet due to the climatic changes Mónika decided to focus on other varieties, like Cabernet Franc, Syrah and Kékfrankos. This year’s edition of VinAgora brought Vylyan amazing success:
– Champion award for Vylyan Villányi Franc 2008 (with the highest score of the contest for a red wine)
– Gold medal for Duennium 2017, the flagship red blend of Vylyan made only in exceptional vintages, in 2017 from Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah.
– Gold medal for KSZÍ 2024, an aerated sparkling wine made of Pinot Noir and Kékfrankos (Kszí is the sound you can hear opening a bottle of this wine…)
– Gold medal for Ördög (‘Devil’) 2022 for the entry level red blend of the estate: a red blend made of Merlot, Zweigelt, Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah. (Read more about the local legend with the Devil here.)
– Silver medal for Vylyan White Variation 2023, a Chardonnay and Pinot Blanc blend we introduced recently.
– Special award from Amorim Cork Hungary as an estate “dedicated to cork closure”

See all VinAgora results here
More about Vylyan Vineyard and Winery

308 wines entered the 59th annual Villány Wine Contest and 81 gold medals were given. The results have just been announced. Only 6 of the gold medal winners received the highest prize – the Great Gold Medal. Bock Cabernet Franc 2015 was selected the Best Villányi Franc, and the absolute winner of the competition with 96.2 points is Duennium Cuvée 2012 by Vylyan Vineyard and Winery. Duennium is the ’flagship’ of Vylyan, it is produced only in the best vintages from carefully selected grapes of the best vineyards. The flower on the label, Gingko Biloba stands for eternity, the meeting point of past, present and future. 2012 vintage is made of Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah. The wine was aged in barrique for 17 months, and then the best barrels were selected, blended and aged for another year in large barrel. „Christmas spices on the nose with ripe blackberry, chocolate and raisin on the palate. Hints of cedarwood and tobacco box in the aftertaste with a touch of musk. Full body, complexity, long finish – a respectable wine personality.” The same wine won gold medal at Vinalies International in 2019 and at AWC Vienna in 2018.

More about Vylyan and Duennium

This year’s edition Vinalies International French wine contest ended with 16 Hungarian medals, 9 gold and 7 silver medals. The 25th edition of the competition took place in Paris at in the first week of March. Looking at the list of medal winners, one would draw the consequence that Hungary is a wine whitecountry: all the gold winners are white except one. Among silver winners there is another red wine and a rosé, so altogether 13 of the 16 winners are white. And indeed, Hungary produces more white wines, but the country is capable of stunning red wines as well, and one wonderful example is the gold winner Vylyan Dunennium Cuvée from Villány.

All Hungarian medal winners