Plus, some essential bits of knowledge about Villány wine region

The 10th Franc & Franc Forum and Tasting Day took place last weekend, and again it was a think tank not only for the producers of Villány wine region, but also for winemakers from other regions and for the invited foreign and local wine professionals. Part of the conference is to present the best 12 Cabernet Franc wines of Villány, let us introduce them.
Photos: Zoltán Kiss ‘Gadget’
By Ágnes Németh

Before presenting the Top 12

– Villány is the southernmost wine region of Hungary with a strong focus on red wines. For more information scroll down, under the 12 wines.
– Even though red wine consumption decreases, the amount of Cabernet Franc, Kékfrankos and Merlot plantations have increased recently. Portugieser, the local grape however has decreased significantly. The quantity of white grapes has also grown.
– The appellation Villányi Franc was created in 2014, yet not all the 12 wines are named Villányi Franc. The explanation is simple: there are three categories, Classicus wines are named Cabernet Franc, while Premium and Super Premium wines are allowed to be named Villányi Franc. (See regulation below the wines.)
– 10 years ago, at the first Top 12 selection there were only 40 wines to choose from, now, at the 10th selection there were 82 wines to choose from.
– The selection is a blind tasting led by András Horkay dipWSET wine expert.
– The comments in italics under each wine are written by me.

CSÁNYI Teleki Válogatás Cabernet Franc 2023, Classicus

Origin (vineyard or ‘cru’, in Hungarian ‘dűlő’): Fekete-hegy, Hársos
Alc: 15.5%, residual sugar: 0.6 g/l, acidity: 4.8 g/l
The wine was produced using controlled fermentation with rack-and-return technique, then aged in tanks for 1.5 years. Bottling takes place continuously, ensuring consistent quality and freshness.
The winery has been represented in the Top 12 8 times out of 10. László Romsics, the CEO of the winery added that they had 46 hectares of Cabernet Franc. “We like those varieties that we can sell” – commented László, praising Franc. “It is less powerful than Merlot and less masculine than Cabernet Sauvignon.” Pasi Ketolainen MW, one of the invited guests was impressed by the delicate red fruits and said that the wine had potential of ageing.
The wine is easy to fall in love with, easy to enjoy. Silky pleasure for less than 5 EUR.
More about the winery

GÜNZER Cabernet Franc 2021, Classicus

Origin: Jammertal, Csillagvölgy, Dobogó
Alc: 14.5%, residual sugar: 1.5 g/l, acidity: 5 g/l
Hand-harvested and berry-selected grapes underwent controlled fermentation, followed by 12 months of ageing in 225-liter French oak barrels with medium toast. The wine was then bottle-aged for an additional 12 months, developing a complex structure and refined aromas.
Günzer has 5 hectares of Franc out of 30, and it is the first time they are in the Top 12. With this vinification the wine could have qualified for the Premium category, but, as Norman Günzer, the founder Zoltán’s son says, they use even higher quality for their Premium. For me it is slightly grippy, but there are nice black fruits, with food it can work well. As Pasi Ketolainen said, “it makes me hungry”. Retail price is around 9 EUR.
More about the winery

KOCH Villányi Franc 2021, Premium

Origin: Imre-völgy
Alc: 14.5%, residual sugar: 3 g/l, acidity: 5.1 g/l
After hand harvesting and selection, fermentation and malolactic conversion took place in closed stainless-steel tanks. The wine then aged for one year in 50% Hungarian and 50% American oak barrels.
The winery has its centre in Hajós–Baja wine region, they have had their Villány plantations since 2017. At Koch Winery two generations work together. Pálma Koch, the founder’s, Csaba Koch’s daughter represented the estate at the Franc & Franc conference. She believes in the Classicus category (indeed, two years ago they were represented with super delicious Classicus), she focuses on fruitiness and elegance. Well-done, the wine is juicy, fruity with finely woven texture. Retail price is around 14 EUR.
More about the winery

AGANCSOS FRANCia 2021, Premium

Origin: Remete
Alc: 14.5%, residual sugar: 0 g/l, acidity: 5.1 g/l
The wine underwent controlled fermentation in stainless-steel tanks, followed by 24 months of aging in French oak barrels. This maturation resulted in an elegant structure and refined oak aromas, giving the wine a rich and sophisticated character.
Agancsos is a small family winery, they are in the Top 12 for the third time. Out of their 8 hectares they have 1.5 hectares Franc. As Zoltán Kovács owner commented, his first Bordeaux variety was Franc, even though back then he thought he had bought Sauvignon. The name is a pun, refers to the variety, but also to origin of the three types of barrels they use from France. Abundant in black fruits, nicely matured, the oak is integrated, good body, good balance. Retail price is around 21 EUR.
More about the winery

SZENDE Kopár Villányi Franc 2020, Premium

Origin: Kopár
Alc: 15%, residual sugar: 1.8 g/l, acidity: 5.3 g/l
Hand-picked grapes were gently destemmed and crushed before fermentation in temperature-controlled stainless-steel tanks with selected yeast. After malolactic conversion, the wine aged for 24 months in first-fill 500-liter Hungarian oak barrels.
Gábor Szende explained that he did not like 225-liter barrels, he finds them overpowering the wine, this is why he uses 500-liter barrels. The grape was harvested in the legendary Kopár vineyard, the hottest of all Hungary. “The plants were suffering in the extreme heat of the summer, and it was sad to see them like this. Some irrigation would be a blessing, but it is not allowed yet.” The wine is full of spices, the spiciness marches throughout the whole sensation from the nose to the aftertaste. Silky and fruity as well. Peter McCombie MW, the other invited Master of Wine commented: “Eyes popped seeing the alcohol, but the wines were stuffed. Good stuff.” Retail price is around 15 EUR.
More about the winery

RUPPERT Villányi Franc 2020, Premium

Origin: Csikorgó
Alc: 15.5%, residual sugar: 2.1 g/l, acidity: 5.8 g/l
From the Diósviszló vineyard with southern exposure and low yield, the grapes were hand-selected both by cluster and berry. Fermentation took place in open vats with manual punch-downs, followed by 18 months of aging in partly new and used 225-liter Hungarian oak barrels. A full-bodied, spicy modern Villány wine, characterized by black berry aromas and a palate dominated by ripe fruit and subtle oak spices.
“We put our lives on Cabernet Franc” – said Ákos Ruppert, whose first plantation was Franc in 2002 and now more than half of the vines are Franc. He mentioned the constant fight against the high alcohol, the suffering plants, and the quest to keep fruitiness, maybe by shorter skin contact. The wine has a unique “cool” note on the nose, at least for me, some eucalypt. The palate is an enchanting fruit basket. Great structure, elegance, balance. Retail price is around 18 EUR.
More about the winery

VINATUS Villányi Franc 2019, Premium

Origin: Bocor, Csicsó
Alc: 14%, residual sugar: 2.8 g/l, acidity: 5 g/l
Aged for 12 months in new Hungarian oak barrels, this wine developed rich texture and complex aromas. Its high extract content grants it long aging potential and an elegant, full-bodied character.
The relatively young family winery is also a strong supporter of Cabernet Franc, they have 7 hectares of Franc out of the 30 hectares. The wine is a bit restrained, abundant in tannins, it may work well with meals. Retail price is around 21 EUR.
More about the winery

SAUSKA Villányi Franc Makár 2018, Premium

Origin: Makár
Alc: 15%, residual sugar: 2 g/l, acidity: 5.4 g/l
The incoming grapes were carefully sorted and briefly macerated. Controlled alcoholic fermentation took place in tanks, allowing the primary varietal characteristics to develop. The extraction period was 28 days. Full malolactic fermentation occurred in barrels, with the wine spending 17 months in mostly second-fill and some new French barrels.
The winery has been represented 8 times out of 10 in the Top 12, plus Makár is the most successful vineyard if we count single vineyard Cabernet Franc wines. There is serious yield control on this higher altitude vineyard of 23-year-old vines, only 3000 kilos are harvested from one hectare. Elegant, stunning wine at the highness of some great Bordeaux wines, and it clearly has a long ageing potential. Fine, chalky tannins, countless layer, complexity. Retail price is around 47 EUR.
More about the winery

IPACS SZABÓ Ég és Föld között 2022, Super Premium

Origin: Középvölgy, Kövesföld
Alc: 14.5%, residual sugar: 1.2 g/l, acidity: 5.6 g/l
Grapes were hand-harvested on September 22, 2022, the whole berries underwent cold maceration and 23 days of skin contact with gentle punch-downs. After malolactic conversion, the wine aged 20 months in first- and second-fill Hungarian and French oak barrels, and was bottled in December 2024 without fining or pumping, using only gravity.
“Sometimes wonders are born from hopeless situations” – said István Ipacs Szabó, who used to be the chief winemaker of Vylyan, now he leads the wine division of Pécs University Research Centre, and in his free time he runs his own estate. “Ég és föld között” means “Between sky and earth”. The hopeless situation refers to the heat and draught of 2022, when he did not even like being in the vineyard, seeing the suffering of the plants. Yet, the wine turned out to be amazing. Gracious, elegant, harmonious with a very long finish. Retail price is around 28 EUR.
More about the winery

GERE ATTILA Villányi Franc Ördögárok 2022, Super Premium

Origin: Ördögárok
Alc: 14%, residual sugar: 0.4 g/l, acidity: 4.8 g/l
Both alcoholic and malolactic fermentation took place in stainless-steel tanks, followed by 16 months of ageing in small oak barrels, 80% new and 20% second-fill. This combination produced a balanced structure and refined oak nuances.
Gere is the absolute winner of the Top 12 selection: they were represented 9 times out of the 10 years. Cabernet Franc is planted on 21 hectares out of their 75 hectares, all organic. Their favourite barrel size for Franc is 300 L – with reason, Pasi Ketolainen MW was impressed by the integration of the oak. Intense aromas and flavours of ripened and overripened fruit, plus some coffee and chocolate. Retail price is around 25 EUR.
More about the winery

MOKOS Villányi Franc 2021, Super Premium

Origin: Weingarten
Alc: 15%, residual sugar: 0.9 g/l, acidity: 6.6 g/l
The wine underwent controlled fermentation in Taucher tanks at 24-27 °C with punch-downs every 3-4 hours. It was then aged for 22 months in new French (20%) and Hungarian oak barrels — Mecsek (20%) and Zemplén (60%) — with medium and medium-plus toasting, resulting in a complex structure and rich aromatics.
The grape came from a 210-230 m high vineyard, from 22-year-old wines with strong yield control (harvested 4300 kilos of a hectare). Péter Mokos gave a nice and touchy speech when presenting the wines, mentioning a star gazing nigh with his little son, whose wish was – surprisingly to the dad – to become as good winemaker as the father. It made Péter Mokos think and prioritize winemaking even though he won support in the Hungarian version of the TV programme called Shark Tank. The wine is highly fruity, abundant in juicy red fruits. Intense, yet elegant, velvety and long. Retail price is around 26 EUR, and Mokos offers half of the price of each bottle to help fellow producers with technical data empowered by AI.
More about the winery

STIER Villányi Franc 2019, Super Premium

Origin: Városhegy
Alc: 14.5%, residual sugar: 2.1 g/l, acidity: 5.2 g/l
Aged for 20 months in new oak barrels, this wine developed a rich texture and refined, elegant aromas. The maturation resulted in a well-balanced structure and a long, harmonious finish.
The young Dominik Stier, a member of the family presented the wine. As Pasi Ketolainen MW commented, the barrel supports the wine nicely, it is not over oaked at all. The wine is powerful, intense and long full of ripened black fruit complemented by spicy notes and cocoa powder. Retail price is around 22 EUR.
More about the winery 

Villányi Cabernet Franc Regulation

Classicus Cabernet Franc can be made
– from grapes harvested in Villány wine region,
– with a minimum ageing of 6 months in oak barrel.
Premium Villányi Franc can be made
– from grapes harvested with a maximum yield of 60 hl/ha,
– aged in oak for at least one year and also benefits from long bottle ageing.
Super Pre­mium Villányi Franc means that
– it is made from 100% Cabernet Franc grapes
– with a maximum yield of 35 hl/ha.
– It spends a minimum of one year in oak and one year in bottle.

Must-know about Villány

(From the brochure of the 10th Franc & Franc)

Villány wine region already has a stable foundation for development: respect for tradition, the desire to improve, diligence and enthusiasm. After Hungary’s transition to the market economy, wineries of Villány were the first to realise what these changes meant and thus played a pioneering role in the development of today’s Hungarian wine culture. Winemakers Tiffány, Gere, Polgár and Bock were awarded the title “Winemaker of the Year” one after the other in the 1990s, and although much has happened since then, this fame created at that time is, in many ways, still felt today. Both experts and consumers consider Villány wines some of the highest quality in the country and the most sought-after on the domestic wine market.
Since the late 1980s, living family traditions have been given the chance to develop, based on historic viticulture traditions. This knowledge dates back to Roman times, and winemaking has always played an important role in the region, regardless of which nationality dominated in the region at that time. The Romans, Hungarians, Serbs and Germany have all contributed to this, with new varieties, new viticulture and winemaking techniques expanding on the skills and traditions of the previous centuries. This rich winemaking tradition peaked in the 18th century, when the Serbs brought Kadarka with them, and shortly after this, when ethnic German settlers brought their famed work ethic, precision and also the Portugieser variety to the region. Although the Villány terroir shows its true potential through international varieties and its top wines are generally made from these grapes, a true Villány winery will always have Portugieser on offer too.
The total area of Hungary’s southernmost wine region with its sub-Mediterranean climate is just 4,500 hectares, of which only 2,300 hectares are currently under vine. It is also one of the most densely planted wine regions. Loess and clay soils rich in organic matter and lime are typically found throughout the region. The areas around Siklós are richer in calcium, thus favouring wines higher in acidity. The Villány wine region is also a pioneer in gastronomy and related services. Every tourist’s need is catered for, from unique traditional dishes to fine dining. Moreover, the amount and quality of accommodation has also improved significantly over recent years.

And Villányi Franc was born!

If you think of Villány, think of Cabernet Franc!
If you think of Cabernet Franc, think of Villány!
Cabernet Franc has found its ideal terroir in the Villány wine region, where it accounts for 18% of all black grapes planted. The vines, rooted in loess with high lime content and warmed by plenty of sunshine, produce wines that are remarkably complex yet also lively and fresh. Villány Franc displays artistic elegance, balance and fine-tuning, yet is versatile enough to allow space for winemakers’ individuality as well as the varietal characteristics.
After a long period of cooperative thinking and collaboration, the Villány wine region announced in May 2014 that it had revised its protected designation of origin system and was creating a new brand linked to the wine region. This single-varietal wine has become Villány’s flagship product. The Cabernet Francs produced in the wine region prove time and time again in international competitions that Villány should give this type of red wine even greater attention. The premium and super premium categories are marketed under the Villányi Franc brand name. Premium Villányi Franc can be made from grapes harvested with a maximum yield of 60 hl/ha, aged in oak for at least one year and also benefits from long bottle ageing. Villány super premium means that it is made from 100% Cabernet Franc grapes with a maximum yield of 35 hl/ha. It spends a minimum of one year in oak and one year in bottle. This category was launched with wines from the 2015 vintage.

MAJOR MILESTONES
2006 Hungary’s first full-fledged protected designation of origin system was established here
1996 The Villány-Siklós Wine Route was the first bastion of wine tourism in Hungary
2014 Villányi franc appellation was born
2015 Franc & Franc Forum and Tasting Day was launched

MAJOR SLOPES AND VINEYARDS
Agancsos, Bocor, Csillagvölgy, Gombás, Jammertal, Kopár, Mandolás, Ördögárok, Pillangó, Remete

DATA
– Cultivated area: 2249,9793 ha
– Sunshine hours 2150 (h/year)
– Precipitation: 700 (mm/year)
– Mean annual temperature: 11°C
– Elevations above sea level: 140–350 m

GRAPE VARIETIES (59 WINE GRAPES)

Black grapes (1830,2612 ha / 81%)
– Cabernet sauvignon 365,1686 ha (16%)
– Cabernet franc 346,6420 ha (15%)
– Kékfrankos (Blaufrankisch) 291,1625 ha (13%)
– Merlot 277,7988 ha (12%)
– Portugieser 264,6779 ha (12%)
– Other black grapes 284,8114 ha (13%)

White grapes (419,7181 ha / 19%)
– Olaszrizling 149,6897 ha (7%)
– Chardonnay 68,2795 ha (3%)
– Irsai Olivér 38,1209 ha (2%)
– Zöldveltelini (Grüner Veltliner) 28,7453 ha (1%)
– Hárslevelű 27,1615 ha (1%)