Andrii Stetsiuk recommending Hungarian wines

Recently JamesSuckling.com team has tasted several Hungarian wines, many of them received great scores. Associate editor Andrii Stetsiuk was impressed by Tokaj again, he praises Balaton wines both white and red – he mentions among others the rich and vivid Feind Chardonnay Batonnage and the terroir driven Kékfrankos wines by Homola. From Szekszárd, all the six wines sent by Vesztergombi Cellar were evaluated high (90-91-92), and from Eger, Gál Tibor single vineyard Pajados Bikavér 2021 has been selected the ’Wine Crush’ of the week.

Read JamesSuckling.com wine report (scroll down a bit, until you find a photo of Tokaj bottles)

Watch the video about Gál Tibor Pajados Egri Bikavér 2021

More about Gal Tibor Winery

Feind Chardonnay Batonnage 2022

A novelty of the Balatonfüred–Csopak estate, produced in 2021 for the first time. It was aged on fine lees for 10 months, partially barrique fermented. A characteristic white wine with nicely integrated oaky notes accompanied by citrus, pineapple and some hazelnut aromas. Long ageing potential.
More about Feind Winery

The terroir driven Homola Kékfrankos wines

The estate in Paloznak (Balatonfüred–Csopak wine region) produces two wines made of the indigenous Kékfrankos grape:
– Homola Kékfrankos 2019
Northern-Balaton’s Kékfrankos are always very elegant, ripe but not tannic driven red wines and Homola’s red wine philosophy fits totally in this style. With its light, ruby red colour, a mixture of fresh red berry fruits (cherry, sour cherry), earthy flavours paired with an extremely harmonious palate this wine could be fantastic for cold platters.
– Homola Kékfrankos Tihany 2019
This unfiltered Kékfrankos is the fruit of a 30-year-old vineyard in Tihany Peninsula on the shore of Lake Balaton. A real volcanic wine as here the soils are mainly composed of basaltic tuff. The wine was fermented spontaneously in open-vats and aged in large barrels for 24 months. The result is a handcrafted charming and complex red wine with an elegant acidity and a long finish.
More about Homola Winery

Vesztergombi wines (Szekszárd) and their JamesSuckling.com scores

More about Vesztergombi Cellar

New release from Eger

Do you remember Sky Furmint by Kovács Nimród Winery? The first vintages of this wine had been called Nagy Eged Furmint after the unique terroir of Nagy-Eged mountain. The terroir – we can say “cru” – remained the same, but the wine was renamed to ‘Sky’ from vintage 2016, to honour the owner’s, Nimród Kovács’s grandson. Now the granddaughter has arrived, so has a wine dedicated to her. Let us introduce KNW Aspen 2023!

Chardonnay – a “ladies’ wine”

Nimród Kovács has always mentioned Burgundy when speaking about Eger wine region: he claims that there are several similarities between the two wine regions beginning with the same latitude. No wonder, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir feel at home in Eger. KNW has a hit product made of Chardonnay: KNW Monopole Battonage Chardonnay is one of the most sold wines of the variety in Hungary – what is more, the wine is a success story outside the country as well. The spelling of bâtonnage is deliberately the American spelling, as Nimród Kovács once commented – and since he was a pioneer using the technique of stirring the lees, his way of spelling is the more used among Hungarian professionals.

Aspen is different from Monopole Chardonnay mainly because the grape for this wine came from two precious vineyards: Nyilasmár and Nagyfai. As a consequence, the full bodied, oily textured wine bears the characteristics of these vineyards, namely minerality from the volcanic soil. Vibrant acidity, elegance, salty-citrusy notes with ripened apples, subtle oaky tones, long aftertaste. The retail price is around 9000 HUF in Hungary (22–23 EUR).

Find Aspen on KNW webshop

 

Sky Furmint 2017 – The Best Furmint in Hungary

KNW Sky Furmint – Wine of the Weekend

Find KNW wines all over the world

More about Nimród Kovács including a short video interview

Sky Furmint and Sky baby – the philosophy of a happy grandpa