3 top rose wines to greet February

Hungarianwines.eu — Wed, 31 Jan 2018 10:40:16 +0000

A Nero, a Pinot and a blend

Sometimes even Santa Claus is fed up with winter and opens a bottle of fresh, crispy rosé wine – it must be the reason behind a special wine contest organized in Hungary annualy. National ’Miklós’ Day Rosé Contest is held on Miklós day, 6th December, when traditionally Santa Claus visits Hungarian homes to place sweets and fruits in the kids’ boots placed in the windows. All the jury members to evaluate the wines are called Miklós. The results were announced at the end of December, but as now we are waiting for the spring, it’s high time to pick three exciting rosé wines from the gold medal winning entries.

The whole list of medal winning wines (’aranyérem’ means gold medal)

Néró, Frittmann Winery, Kunság, 2017

Néró is a grape variety selected in Hungary in 1965. The name refers to the deep colour of the berry, but also the crazy Roman Emperor. The grape is resistant, therefore chemical spraying is not needed. Another advantage of Néro is that it produces an excessed amount of antioxidant which is rescued in the wine. Medium rose colour. The fragrance is in a perfect harmony with the taste dominated by red berries like cherry, ripe raspberry, rose-hip and strawberry. The sip is bursting with red berry aromas, supported by vivid acids. Ethereal and dynamic. Excellent companion for hot or cold appetizers, for light dish and for salmon.

Pinot Noir, Haraszthy Winery, Etyek–Buda, 2017

Besides the strawberry and raspberry notes, it is enhanced with a touch of cranberry while still keeping a vivid acidity. This sulfit free rosé is a perfect match with cold cuts and salami. This rosé reveals beautifully an umami and savory character.

Roségold, Garamvári Winery, South Balaton, 2017

„The Best Rosé of Hungary” title goes to Garamvári’s bottle. Here is how they made: „We harvest Pinot Noir and Syrah from the young plantations planted in 2007 in the above single vineyards. After pressing we ferment and mature it in tanks following reductive technology. Wine made in this way is a typical refreshment for summer, where the restrained elegance of Pinot Noir is completed by the spicy and lively acids of Syrah.”

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‘Crazy good’ wine made of Nero

Hungarianwines.eu — Tue, 15 Nov 2016 15:57:54 +0000

Néró is a grape variety selected in Hungary in 1965 by two oenologists, József Csizmazia and László Beleznai. The name refers to the deep colour of the berry, but also the crazy Roman Emperor. The grape is resistant, therefore chemical spraying is not needed. Another advantage of Néro is that it produces an excessed amount of antioxidant which is rescued in the wine, thus its wine is healthier then wines made of most of the other varieties (Sagrantino in Italy can boast with immense amount of antioxidant as well). Despite the positive characteristics, the grape Néró is still not very popular, probably because it was categorized as a species of grape to eat (but it is legally used for making wine, the only restriction is that it should not be labelled as PDO – Protected Designation of Origin – wine, but PGI – Protected Geographical Indication wine).

However, a few producers believe in the potential of the grape, one of them is János Eszterbauer in Szekszárd wine region. Eszterbauer bottled his new vintage rose at the end of October. The name of the wine – like all the others of the family winery – was inspired by real characters of the ancestors of János Eszterbauer. ‘Napszámos’ the name of Néró rosé is literally day laborer, and it stands for a concrete day laborer who worked for János Eszterbauer’s grandfather.

Napszámos rose was kept on the skin for a very short time to achieve a light pink colour. The wine is crispy, easy to drink and full of fruity flavours.

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