Merlot Bianco & Blue-White

The rosé boom has come to a halt, red wine consumption is decreasing – so how can a red dominated wine region survive? Some wineries plant more white varieties, as we have written recently, while Erhard and Evelyne Heumann have come up with a bolder idea: let’s make white wine of what we have! The solution is somehow obvious from a German–Swiss couple, since white Merlot has special importance in the Italian speaking part of Switzerland. Apart from Merlot Bianco, the Heumanns have released Blue-White as well, a white wine made of Hungary’s flagship black grape, Kékfrankos. “A successful Blanc-de-Noir, where every sip makes you want the next one.” (Adrian van Velsen)

Heumann Merlot Bianco 2024

Heumann Winery has always been famous for making brilliant Riesling wines, due the location of their vineyards in the Siklós sub-region of Villány wine region. Here the soil mainly consists of loess with high proportion of limestone. The new white Merlot is made of the same Merlot they use for the red wine, from Városhegy vineyard in Siklós, with 20-year-old vines, with a yield of only 40 hl / hectare. Harvest took place on 22 August.
The grape was destemmed, immediately pressed, and the alcoholic fermentation took place in temperature controlled stainless-steel tanks at 16° C. In spite of the practice in the Swiss white Merlot region, Ticino, there was no malolactic fermentation. The wine was kept on fine yeast for 4 months. It was bottled on 5 February, 2025.
Alcohol: 13.5%, acidity: 5.7 g/l, residual sugar: 2.7 g/l.
Tasting note: Pale colour. Intense flavours of red fruit and cassis. Fruity lemon acidity, well integrated in the creamy body. Very spicy. Long lasting.

Heumann Blue-White 2024

Kékfrankos (in the neighbouring Austria it is called Blaufränkisch) is the most planted black grape of Hungary, an indigenous grape with a potential to give fruit drivel, elegant wines appealing to the wine connoisseurs of today. Just like in case of Merlot Bianco, the winery uses the same grape for the white as they use for the red Kékfrankos.
The parcels of Kékfrankos vines are also located in Városhegy vineyard. Harvest took place on 21 August.
As in case of Merlot Bianco, the grape was destemmed, immediately pressed, and the alcoholic fermentation took place in temperature controlled stainless-steel tanks at 16° C, there was no malolactic fermentation. It was bottled on 6 February, 2025.
Alcohol: 13.5%, acidity: 6.1 g/l, residual sugar: 1.7 g/l.
Tasting note by Adrian van Velsen Swiss wine writer:
“Pale rose gold; restrained aroma of grapefruit, red currants, and white flowers; gripping on the palate, juicy, incredible crisp fruit, well balanced acidity, the wine has a fresh and fruity finish. A successful Blanc-de-Noir, where every sip makes you want the next one. (88 points)”

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