Hungarian producers and regions?

K

kirk wallace

kirk wallace
Anybody have recommendations for wineries to look out for in Hungary? Or on-line resources where I can try to make some rudimentary explorations?

Ta.
 
The first name in Hungarian wine-makers is Istvan Szepsy. The website for his own winery is very informative, and I've had his harslevelu once and his dry furmint once. Apparently, he is winemaker here, too. SFJoe and I talked about Istvan occasionally.

After him, though, I've got nothing more to add. Not enough Hungarian wine makes it out of Hungary to get a good read on it. (And Jancis complains that prices are too high on what does make it out.)
 
originally posted by Jeff Grossman:
The first name in Hungarian wine-makers is Istvan Szepsy. The website for his own winery is very informative, and I've had his harslevelu once and his dry furmint once. Apparently, he is winemaker here, too. SFJoe and I talked about Istvan occasionally.

After him, though, I've got nothing more to add. Not enough Hungarian wine makes it out of Hungary to get a good read on it. (And Jancis complains that prices are too high on what does make it out.)
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Of course, Kiràlyudvar comes to mind. There was some early involvement with Szepsy, I believe. I got quite a detailed rundown of SFJoe's trip with Tony Hwang, and it sounded pretty exciting at the time. No idea what is going on there these days.
 
Thanks guys! This will be very helpful. I'll be there (just Budapest) only for 4 nights, and this should give me enough, at least until I find a local Virgil or two. (And I see Bock & Gere on the Blue Danube's of producers. I know each has a well respected restaurant in BP with extensive offerings of their respective wines, along with those of others.)
 
originally posted by kirk wallace:
Thanks guys! This will be very helpful. I'll be there (just Budapest) only for 4 nights, and this should give me enough, at least until I find a local Virgil or two. (And I see Bock & Gere on the Blue Danube's of producers. I know each has a well respected restaurant in BP with extensive offerings of their respective wines, along with those of others.)
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Eric Danch, the northern California guy at Blue Danube, is a nice and knowledgeable. If you reach out through their web site, I expect he'd pass along some great info and maybe an introduction or two.
 
Just an interim update. I've been exploring the wines of the members of this (highly disorderly) group: terra hungarica
So far a delicious (very inexpensive) 2015 kadarka under screw cap by Posta in the Szkszard region stands out; delicate, tomato leafy nose and beguiling minerally taste, sort of like a lean cab franc mixed with some Poulsard. (I also had a 2016 single vineyard kadarka by Bock, a more traditional and large producer, who has a upscalish "bistro" in Pest, and t was Ok, but more simple and felt a bit dilute; it would be a decent airplane lounge wine, but not more than that.)

Oh, and the Szepsy 2015 single vineyard "Bohomaj" dry Fermint is exceptional stuff. 12.5% abv. Superb balance of fruit and acid and minerality. Great length and all around delicious.
 
You would like these guys' anti-oak posture,O. From this philosophy club, I had a 2015 kékfrankos -- blaufrankish to most of us-- BTG from Raspi tonight that was superb. Plenty of spice and fruit but no flab. minerality and acidity to hold up and animate the flesh. And, BTW, Restaurant Csalogany 26 is excellent. Pure good cooking. No foam. No gels. No make-up. Top class technique & simple ingredients with no more tha 3 flavors on the plate. Robuchon & Passard would be happy with this chef.
 
originally posted by kirk wallace:
Pure good cooking. No foam. No gels. No make-up. Top class technique & simple ingredients with no more tha 3 flavors on the plate.
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Nice.

We had a lovely time in Budapest way back in 2008. I can't say we got a comprehensive survey of the local restaurant scene, but from what we did experience it tended towards experimental, creative, interesting, and too many jumbled flavors.

Enjoy your trip!
 
originally posted by Rahsaan:

We had a lovely time in Budapest way back in 2008. I can't say we got a comprehensive survey of the local restaurant scene, but from what we did experience it tended towards experimental, creative, interesting, and too many jumbled flavors.

Enjoy your trip!
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Unfortunately, that "creative, interesting, and too many jumbled flavors" approach still seems very much alive, well & popular. 2 of our four dinners fell in that category, even though I had tried to weed out that approach as much as I could from websites and reviews. That made last night's dinner even more satisfying. E.g., No raspberry sauce or goose liver (or both) added just to make a dish "fancy".
 
originally posted by kirk wallace:
You would like these guys' anti-oak posture,O. From this philosophy club, I had a 2015 kékfrankos -- blaufrankish to most of us-- BTG from Raspi tonight that was superb. Plenty of spice and fruit but no flab. minerality and acidity to hold up and animate the flesh. And, BTW, Restaurant Csalogany 26 is excellent. Pure good cooking. No foam. No gels. No make-up. Top class technique & simple ingredients with no more tha 3 flavors on the plate. Robuchon & Passard would be happy with this chef.
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All very advanced!
 
originally posted by kirk wallace:
You would like these guys' anti-oak posture,O. From this philosophy club, I had a 2015 kékfrankos -- blaufrankish to most of us-- BTG from Raspi tonight that was superb. Plenty of spice and fruit but no flab. minerality and acidity to hold up and animate the flesh. And, BTW, Restaurant Csalogany 26 is excellent. Pure good cooking. No foam. No gels. No make-up. Top class technique & simple ingredients with no more tha 3 flavors on the plate. Robuchon & Passard would be happy with this chef.
Click to expand...
Sounds like a splendid restaurant. Makes me reminisce about Davenport.

Good kekfrankos, really? Well, maybe the Hungarians hold the good terroir for it.
 
Coming to the end of our stay in Torino, I saw that I had one bottle of dry wine left from the Hungarian beginning of this trip. I opened it the other day and am finishing it this eve, before dinner. Really excellent stuff:

Wetzer 2014 Soproni Kékfrankos. (Soproni means its from Sopron.) 12.5% abv. Purple. very much reminiscent of a top class Bourgeuil. (A bit too fleshy for top level Chinon.) Wonderful nose of plums and stones and tomato leaf. In the mouth, great saliva promoting acidity (sort of like a sour hard candy without any sugary flavor) wrapped around delicious fruit and minerality. I see on wine searcher it (in other vintages) is available in SF and Brooklyn in the low to mid $20's. (It seems to be a Blue Danube import.)

More info here, if you'd care for more: http://wetzer-bor.com/en/

I highly recommend it! (Of course it doesn't quite compare to the '11 Cappellano Pie Franco i had last night ....)
 
I was skeptical too, O. But after an excellent bottle of it 3 weeks ago, I was not afraid to order it this time. (Different resto.) this bottle was better stored. Fresher but no less approachable. Tannins were present, but super silky and gentle.
 
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