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Hungarian Wines Tour Day 2: Somló and Tornai

 

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We woke up on the morning of Day 2 of our Hungarian wines tour with Hungarianwines.eu at Dominium Pincészet in Mátra. After a quick breakfast (which was mostly us mainlining coffee like it was going out of style!) we piled in the van for our next adventure. My personal favorite wine region in Hungary: Somló. But first, a three hour drive to get there.

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.

Tornai Pincészet

Our destination in Somló was the Tornai Pincészet which happened to be one of the writing contest sponsors! Winery founder Endre Tornai began his winemaking journey in 1946 on a 2.5 acre plantation. The family lost their land and home in the early 1950s to the Communist regime and collectivization. The family slowly gained back land on Somló and in 1983, sold their first wine bottled under their own name. After the fall of the Soviet system, the estate began to develop rapidly. The family expanded its vineyard holdings and invested heavily in modern technology.

Today, Tornai Pincészet is the largest family estate on Somló hill. The winery has 170 aces, mainly in the southern areas of the hill. Their main vintage is the regional Juhfark but they do not ignore other traditional grapes. Tornai’s vineyards include: Juhfark, Furmint, Olaszrizling, Hárslevelű, and Tramini. In addition to these, they cultivate: Pinot Gris, Zeus, Zenit, and Irsai Olivér.

Tamás Tornai, the current family member in charge greeted us at the winery with a glass of their lovely Sauvignon Blanc. Tornai hosted us at a beautiful lunch which included not only a selection of their wines but also my new favorite thing: chilled raspberry soup. Apparently, chilled fruit soups are a big thing in Hungary. After lunch we toured the winery’s museum. Mementoes from both the family and winemaking history are housed here with explanations in Hungarian, German, and English. Tamás also treated us to a tour of the impressive winery facilities. Tornai does not have the space to use the vertical, gravity-flow technology popular with winemakers who want a more gentle process for their wines. Utterly undaunted, Tamás figured out a way to make the gravity-flow process work horizontally!

Next, it was off for a quick visits to one of their vineyards where we enjoyed a 2011 (!) Juhfark and the incredible view. Our wine appetites sufficiently whetted, we headed back to the winery for a tasting.

Tornai Pincészet Wine Tasting

We tasted six wines from Tornai Pincészet’s Top Selection line: an Olaszrizling, a Furmint, a Juhfark, a Tramini, and two vastly different Hárslevelűs.

Ilona Olaszrizling, 2019

100% Olaszrizling from the winery’s Ilona vineyards. Oak-aged with 12% abv.

Deep lemon in the glass with green highlights. Wow. So many things happening here. Initially orange blossom water-soaked Speculaas cookies greeted the nose followed by honeycomb and bergamot. The palate was everything from the nose…and then an almost nervy acidity hits leaving behind a sprinkle of lemon salt. Creamy on the palate with ripe pear adding itself to the party.

I am not generally a fan of Olaszrizling but this may have changed my mind!

Apátsági Furmint, 2019

100% Furmint from Tornai’s Apátsági vineyards. Oak-aged with 13.4% abv.

Bright gold. The nose ushered in aromas of thyme honey, curry leaf, citrus, and candied pineapple. Mouthwatering, both figuratively and literally. Both golden and green apple flavors accompanied by pomelo, peach, and a not unpleasant ashy texture.

Aranyhegy Juhfark, 2019

100% Juhfark from Tornai’s Aranyhegy vineyards. Oak-aged with 12.7% abv.

The nose was initially reminiscent of crispy fall leaves and campfire smoke. Raw hazelnut, smoked grapefruit skin, and brown spices followed. The palate experience delivered kafir lime leaf, cream honey, pink citrus, and hazelnut flavors. Creamy palate with crisp acidity.

Tramini, 2019

Unlike the other wines, the Tramini is not a single vineyard wine. Rather, it is made from grapes carefully selected from across their vineyards. Aged for 12 months in oak with 11.4% abv and finished dry (only 1.1 g/L residual sugar).

I love the Traminer family and this was no exception. Lychee fruit planted in the midst of an English garden filled with roses, granted gingers, and lemongrass aromas. These notes ushered in similar flavors of ginger, tropical fruits like lychee and baby pineapple, and cream-soaked peaches on the finish. Round with zesty acidity.

Grófi Hárslevelű, 2015

100% Hárslevelű (one of my favorite Hungarian grapes!) from Tornai’s Grófi vineyards. Oak-aged with 14% abv.

Clouds of kafir lime leaf and flint waft around a core of ginger peel and pineapple. Slightly oily texture but a racy acidity kept it from being overly unctuous. Tropical and spicy on the palate with a large dose of lime zest ice cream.

Grófi Hárslevelű, 2017

Not that all the previous wines weren’t already fantastic…but we ended the tasting with the 2017 Hárslevelű. From the same vineyard as the 2015, but the wines were as different as night and day. The 2017 came from overripe grapes that macerated for 20 hours, fermented in oak, and aged for six months on the lees with battonage. Also unlike the 2015, this vintage was finished with 10.1 g/L residual sugar and a – brace yourself – 16% abv!

A glass filled with golden nectar and a complex bouquet that drew me in deeper and deeper. Layers of candied ginger, honey-soaked walnuts, golden apple peel, and orange syrup decorated with honeysuckle petals. Rich and sticky but with vibrant acidity, the palate fulfilled every promise made by the bouquet.