Dominium Tempranillo Authentica 2021

That little drop of wine in the cover photo is mouth-watering, isn’t it? The photo was taken by the team of Ab Ovo wine webshop and they are clearly impressed by the authentic expression of the leading Spanish grape. But how come that this great Tempranillo comes from Mátra, the largest mountainous wine region of Hungary, from Mátra, where aromatic white grapes lead the chart of sold wines.
(The photo is about vintage 2019, but the current vintage is 2021.)

Experimental spirit

Probably because the Orbán family does not have several generations of winemaking history, they had been educated wine enthusiasts first, and then came the studies. Dániel Orbán, the winemaker started with a WSET course, which gives a broad knowledge of the wines of the world, and later Dániel had the chance to gain first hand experience in California. No wonder the “usual set of grapes” in Mátra was not enough for him, he needed more exciting toys. “As far as wine goes, we have never been intimidated by any challenge, and we enjoyed experimenting with rare and unusual grape varieties. Our first wine in 2014 was a Syrah, which is still very dear to me, and this variety has remained a highlight of every year’s harvest ever since. Besides this, we are having great success with Black Maiden, Turán and Tempranillo, which count a little bit as curiosities on the Hungarian wine market.” Black Maiden is the English translation of Fekete Leányka, an important black grape in Transylvania.

Read more about the story of Dominium here

Spontaneous as it could be

The grapes for Dominium Tempranillo Authentica 2021 were harvested in the middle of October. Fermentation took place in open vat spontaneously and the wine aged in second and third use oak barrel for 16 months. Due to the moderate barrel notes, the wine remained fruit driven abundant in black berry fruits accompanied by spices and some tobacco notes. Soft, integrated tannins, medium acidity and very long aftertaste. Ideal with venison and beef dishes.

Sauna with a view

In case you are curious about this wine and the other curiosities – for example the latest release Pretium, a blend of Tempranillo, Cabernet Franc and Syrah – contact Dániel Orbán, or even better to visit him. Dominium has a lovely guest house with cosy rooms, a sauna with amazing view and homemade delicacies not only for breakfast. The guesthouse offers 8 rooms, including two superior rooms (with balcony) for 16 people altogether, which can be expanded on request. Their “Weekday Recharge in Mátra” package offers 3 nights for 2 people (including breakfast and a wine tasting with 6 wines) for only 73 000 HUF (195 euros).

More details about the rooms and special offers