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A Hungarian Love Affair

 

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My introduction to Hungarian wine occurred on a work trip to Budapest in 2004. Budapest is a beautiful city I have since fallen in love with. But I felt strange in this wintery, new country where I didn’t speak the language. The wine, a syrupy, low quality Tokaji sold in the tourist shops. A memory quickly forgotten.

More than 10 years later I would find myself in Hungary again for work. This time, I was not alone and was sequestered with colleagues in a spider infested hotel on Lake Balaton. The hotel food was terrible, the conference not going well, and we were at one another’s throats. Then someone discovered a nearby Hungaricum festival. Here the food was magnificent. There were fewer spiders. More importantly, I had a second chance to try Hungarian wine. This time, I was hooked.

I love Hungarian wine. The sheer breadth of flavors, styles, and terroirs offered by the relatively small country is astounding. My favorite wines come from grapes native and traditional to Hungary. I love the way their names feel in my mouth almost as I love the taste of their wine. Kéknyelű. Hárslevelű. Kékfrankos. How can one not enjoy saying these words?

Sadly, I cannot get Hungarian wines where I live. Two summers ago, I solved this by treating myself to a trip to Hungary for my 40th birthday. I spent five glorious days exploring different wine regions and learning about wine. My tours took me to iconic Tokaj and Somló. While I loved Tokaj, it was the latter that really captured my imagination.

The Essence of Somló

It might be Hungary’s smallest wine district, but lack of hectares does not diminish its impact. Nagy-Somló includes three hills, Somló Hill, Kissomló, and Ság-hegy. A stunning site, Somló Hill, the main 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 wineries here work a variety of plots in different locations, most of which are organic. Somló is projected to be 100% organic by 2023.

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. The district has achieved fame for Furmint and Hárslevelű as well as for Olaszrizling. 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 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 temperatures.

Szikár 2015 – A 50/50% blend of steel and oak aged wine, and pale gold on the pour, this wine displayed lots of crunchy red apple and apple peel. Salty, fresh, and very mineral-driven on the palate, the Szikár (which means “lean”) was like no Sauvignon Blanc I’ve ever had.

Olaszrizling 2017 – While slightly less satisfying to say than some other grapes, Kis’s blend of Olaszrizling from three different parcels (north, south, and east facing) was a killer wine. Prior to bottling, 20% of the blend 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 flavors of smoked herbs.

Borszörcsök-Somlószőlős 2017 – Also a barrel fermented and aged (10 months) Juhfark, the Borszörcsök-Somlószőlős (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 called to mind lemon rock salt.

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 else we’d tried. 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’d 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 pear and spice.

Kreinbacher

When my guide and I 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 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.

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 – 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. 

Hárslevelű 2016 Selection – Kreinbacher leans heavily on international grapes but I was delighted to find a varietal of one of my favorite to say and drink grapes, Hárslevelű. 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 flavors reflecting the nose. 

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 mineral and herbs. Very sage-herb on the palate. Dry, round, and complex with a long, lingering finish.

Szent Donat

The final stop of the day brought my Hungarian wine journey full circle and returned me to Balaton. Clinging to the side of a hill in Csopak and providing an impressive view over the lake, 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 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 – Heavily influenced by the vineyard’s basalt soils, the nose of this 100% Kékfrankos 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.

Márgá 2017 – A blend of 90% Furmint with 10% Olaszrizling aged 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 – 100% Olaszrizling from a single vineyard with red sandstone and clay soils. Pouring it 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 a pretty purple-red color. Rich 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. 

My guide insisted that I must try lángos before leaving Balaton. We stopped at a snack shop near the lake and settled down to eat. Looking over the water, munching on sour cream and cheese topped fried bread, I couldn’t help but wish I had one last glass of wine to drink with it!