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Somló Adventures with Taste Hungary

 

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After an exciting day exploring Tokaj with Taste Hungary I fell into bed at my hotel. A good night’s sleep was definitely in order to prepare me for the next day’s tour. My Somló tour guide Sebastian greeted me bright and early the next morning with these amazing, buttery, savory pogácsa. Imagine a scone and a biscuit had a baby. And you ate the baby because it was delicious, buttery goodness. The day already off to a good start, we hopped in the car to head west to the Balaton region and Somló Hill.

The Essence of Somló

It might be Hungary’s smallest wine district but lack of hectarage does not diminish its impact. Properly named Nagy-Somló (shom-LOW),  the district comprises three hills, Somló Hill and the near (ish) by hills of Kissomló and Ság-hegy. A stunning site, Somló Hill rises steeply out of the dried-up Pannonian Lake and looms over the surrounding flat lands. Small vineyard plots circle the hill on all sides, even the north facing side. Many (if not the majority) of wineries here work a variety of plots in different locations, most of which are organic. In fact, Somló is projected to be 100% organic by 2023. Due to steep slopes there are a lot of head-trained vineyards here making it look like a mini Mosel.

A volcanic butte, basalt and tuff make up the majority of the soil along with loess, sand, and clay. It’s this soil composition that gives the wines of Somló their soul. Like Tokaj, the district has achieved fame for its Furmint and Hárslevelű as well as for Olaszrizling (or Welschriesling to those of us more familiar with the grape’s Austrian name). And while it makes up less than 15% of plantings, this trio of hills is considered home to the Hungarian grape Juhfark.

Somlói Vándor Pince

Our first stop of the day was to Somlói Vándor Pince (Wayfarer of Somló) run by a young winemaker from Eger, Tamás Kis. In addition to being organic, all the wines here are the result of spontaneous fermentation at controlled, low (17-22 C) temperatures. I could have filled my suitcase with only his wines and walked away happy.

Szikár 2015 – Pale gold on the pour, this wine gave off aromas reminiscent of amber wine. Lots of crisp red apple and apple peel here. Fermented in stainless steel but the end blends 50/50% stainless and oak aged. Salty, fresh, and very mineral-driven on the palate, the Szikár (which means “lean”) was like no Sauvignon Blanc I’ve ever had. I would have never guessed that was the grape at work here.

Olaszrizling 2017 – I quite enjoy Austrian Welschriesling. It’s rarely complex but always pleasant. However, I had yet to find a Hungarian Olaszrizling I liked. Until this day! Kis blended Olaszrizling from three different parcels (north, south, and east facing) for a killer wine. Prior to bottling, 20% of the blended was treated to oak. The resulting wine was redolent of apple, citrus, mineral, and savory herb.

Juhfark 2017 – Somlói Vándor’s estate wine, this Juhfark is a blend from four different plots that was fermented in then aged sur lie for eight months in 500 liter barrels. Smoke, gravel, and herbs on the nose. Clean and linear on the palate with a mouthfeel that reminds me a lot of quality Riesling and flavors of smoked herbs.

Borszörcsök-Somlószőlős 2017 – Also a barrel fermented and aged (10 months) Juhfark, the Borszörcsök-Somlószőlős (which means wine sippers of Somló) displayed a lot of the same mineral, gravel/flint, and herb qualities as the estate blend. Sipping however, revealed a wholly different wine. Much richer and rounder, a little fat but still with a solid acidic spine and a finish that reminded me of the lemon rock salt for sale in Istanbul’s spice markets.

Juhfark 2016 – This was a difficult vintage on the hill that included July hail resulting in Somlói Vándor losing 65% of its crop. The late season wetness added a touch of botrytis to the grapes that made itself known in the end wine. It began with mineral, wet slate, herb, juicy pineapple, and I swear I caught a whiff of something meaty. Salty with ripe fruits and smoked herbs compliment a heavier mouthfeel than the 2017.

Kabar 2017 – Kis makes only 500 bottles of Kabar from his .2 hectares. Aged in 300 liter barrels for eight months, this wine gave off very different aromas from anything we’d tried already. Far more floral, it displayed a lot of daisies, wild flowers, and dandelion greens. Mouth puckering and lean acidity carried flavors of bright fruits, flowers, and a spritz of lemon. Very charming and refreshing.

Pét-nat -I’m killing myself now for not buying a bottle of this. I’ve read a lot about pét-nat wines but this was my first. A co-fermented blend of Grüner Veltliner and Ezerjo, this was a very special wine. White pepper immediately leapt out of the nose accompanied by tropical and tree fruits. Nicely structured with foamy bubbles that filled my mouth with the flavor of pear and spice.

Kreinbacher

When Sebastian and I left Somló Vándor we elected to walk down the hill to Kreinbacher where we were scheduled to have lunch and taste more wine. Along the way we got a little lost, admired some beautiful examples of the sheep-tail shaped Juhfark grape bunches, startled a yearling deer in one of the vineyards, and finally found the front entrance to the winery. When József Kreinbacher decided to add sparkling wine to his portfolio he did not do it by half measures but built an entirely new winery to do it. The winery, complete with restaurant and small hotel, sits at the base of Somló Hill and now makes some of the best sparkling wines in Hungary (as well as still wine).

Classic Brut – A blend of Furmint and Chardonnay, this lovely sparkler had a very Champagne-esque spirit (but at a much less terrifying price!). A host of tight bubbles released floral aromas like honeysuckle, as well as pineapple, Bosch pear, and mineral. Beautiful creamy mousse filled my mouth with flavors of citrus, ripe yellow fruits, Juicy Fruit gum, and mineral. Dry, mouthwatering, and very near perfection.

Prestige Brut – Medium gold on the pour with energetic bubbles, this 100% Furmint spent three years on the lees resulting in aromas of brioche, butter, golden apples, and yellow fruits. Full mousse was soft and playful in the mouth burst with yeasty flavors complimented by apples and ripe yellow fruits similar to the nose. Lovely, lovely, lovely.

Brut Nature – My first brut nature this blend heavily favored Chardonnay at 71% with 29% Furmint. Aged for about 18-22 months there were hints of yeast and red apples on the nose. Very dry (obviously I guess!) with somewhat spiky bubbles. Did not have the fullness of flavor or class offered by both the Classic and Prestige but still, very nice.

Hárslevelű 2016 Selection – From Kreinbacher’s Selection series, this Hárslevelű was aged for eight months in a combination of Hungarian and French oak. It began with floral, acacia, herb, and mineral aromas. Sipping revealed a rounded palate, silky and clean with the same flavors found in the nose. Very nice but not earth shattering.

Öreg Tőkék Bora 2016 – Meaning “old vines” this wine blended together spontaneously fermented Olaszrizling (50%), Furmint (25%), and Hárslevelű (25%) aged eight months in Hungarian and French oak. Aromatic with accompanying aromas of mineral and herbs. Very sage-herb on the palate. Dry, round, and complex with a long, lingering finish.

Birtokvőrös – The only red we tried at Kreinbacher, this was a blend of Pinot Noir (55%), Cabernet Franc (35%), and Syrah (10%). Young, fresh, and fruity with a fruit-forward nose and similar palate made a bit more interesting by a dash of black pepper.

Szent Donat

For the final stop of the day we left Somló for the Balaton district Balatonfüred-Csopak and the Szent Donat winery. Clinging to the side of a hill in Csopak and providing an impressive view over Lake Balaton, Szent Donat winery takes great pride in its different soils. Particularly well-known for its various single vineyard Olaszrizlings, the winery has vineyards with everything from red clay over red sandstone to clay over marl and limestone, and loess on limestone. Its clever labels (of which I sadly didn’t get any photos) are a pictographic guide to its vineyard plots and soil types. Its wines are generally the result of spontaneous fermentation and bottled unfiltered and unfined.

Rosé Kékfrankos 2018 – This rosé from Szent Donat was 100% Kékfrankos (also known as Blaufränkisch). Heavily influenced by the vineyard’s basalt soils, the nose demonstrated full-stop mineral. Bright and dry on the palate with delicate floral and berry notes under the mineral. Almost a white wine in style, this was a wine I felt more than tasted.

Blanc 2018 – Sauvignon Blanc, while not I believe an approved grape for the region, performs well here. Szent Donat’s Blanc started with fresh aromas of herb, mineral, and chalk. Sipping revealed flavors similar to the nose with the addition of lime and kaffir lime leaves. Light, easy, and enjoyable but without any particular depth.

Csopak Hegybor 2018 – One of several Olaszrizlings we tried, the grapes for this blend came from sandstone and marl plots. Delicate and floral aromas followed by flavors of apricot and bitter almond. Somewhat soft in the mouth but with nice, zesty acid.

Márgá 2017 – A blend of 90% Furmint with 10% Olaszrizling that aged for 10 months in 250 liter ceramic amphora. A light gold on the pour with aromas of ripe yellow fruits and flowers. Creamy in the mouth with a mineral-tinged acidic core. Yellow fruits mingled with warm spice flavors, something like nutmeg.

Slikker 2017 – With the Slikker we came back to 100% Olaszrizling, this time a single vineyard with red sandstone and clay soils. My favorite this far, pouring the Slikker released aromas of dry honey, apricot, and fruit blossoms. Round with clean acid and a slightly chalky feeling it tasted like pears and flowers.

Szent Donat Olaszrizling 2017 – The last white of the day, another 100% single vineyard Olaszrizling from marl, limestone, and Pannonian soils. Shy on the nose but on the palate mineral-edged yellow fruits, fruit blossom, and dashes of white pepper. Medium-bodied with lots of nice, bright acid.

Magma Kékfrankos 2017 – Not a single vineyard, but a blend of Kékfrankos from vineyards with basalt tuff and limestone soils, the Magma fermented in open vats and aged 10 months in used French barrels. A little cloudy in the glass (unfiltered) but still it displayed a pretty purple-red color. Very rich on the nose with red berries, walnuts, and spice. Crunchy tannins with crisp, fresh acidity. Palate flavors reflected the nose along with cherry and so much black pepper. One of the more enjoyable Kékfrankos wines I tried in Hungary!