Montag, 20. September 2010

Budapest Wine Festival

My recent trip to Hungary luckily coincided with the annual Budapest Wine Festival. This takes place in the pictoresque setting of Buda Castle, which along with the wines and the program made more than up for this year's rather lousy weather.

Buda's castle district and its view of river Danube and Pest side.


Whilst the festival featured wines from 250 producers and 15 countries, I obviously concentrated on discovering as many Hungarian wines from as many producers and regions as possible. In other words, I allowed the festival to fulfill its declared mission: "to develop Hungarian wine culture" (Zoltán Zilai, MD of Hungarian Viti- and Viniculture Ltd.).

Most of my best tastings took place at the stands of Tokaji producers (Royal Tokaji Company, Oremus, Patricius), but these I will feature in individual blog entries when reporting about my subsequent trip to Tokaji (by invitation of Royal Tokaji Company, sponsoring my scholarship won during WSET diploma studies).


And it goes without saying that not all wines I tasted were pleasurable. So here are my favourites aside from Tokaji:

2008 Egerszólati Olaszrizling (a white grape variety) from Kántor Tag (a single vineyard in Eger), producer: Gál Lajos. An aromatic, youthful wine ready to drink, with aromas of acacia and honeysuckle, ripe mango and lychee and a hint of vanilla. Good balance between acidity and sweetness (off-dry style) and length.

2007 Kopár Villány Cuvée, made from 50% Cabernet Franc, 40% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon all grown in the Kopár single vineyard of Villány region, producer: Gere Attila. All of the blend was aged for 16 months in oak, partly in small barrels of 60l, partly in large casks. The wine is youthful, ready to drink, yet able to age well. It shows fresh raspberry fruit, sweet spicy vanilla and notes of white chocolate and is well balanced by a medium+ level of soft, ripe tannins.

From the same Villány vineyard, but Sauska estate, comes 2006 Kopár Merlot, a fully developed wine, with ripe, sweet red berry flavours, sweet spice characteric and a medium level of silky tannins. It is showing slight notes of oxidation, but in this case not disturbing at all, but rather adding some extra complexity. Should be drunk soon.

2006 Kékfrankos (black grape variety, in Austria and Germany known as Blaufränkisch) from Spern Steiner (single vineyard) in Sópron, producer: Weninger estate. It was made from old vines of approx. 50 years, grown on mica schist and gneiss soils. The wine shows youthful, with red fruit and sweet spice (vanilla), as well as earthy and mineral notes. It is quite high in acidity, which gives this wine a very elegant structure and makes it a perfect match for heavy and oily dishes.



Some of the best tastings were organized by my friend Ágnes Herczeg (Wine Treasury Kft), whom I had met during WSET diploma studies in London.
Culinary delights (Kürtöskalács, a sweet dough baked in a special oven and then flavoured à gusto with chocolate, coconut, almonds etc.)...




... and adventures (cockscomb and bowels served
on a potato-pearl barley mix and decorated with
edible flowers - actually really tasty!)



Numerous concerts, dance performances and exhibitions completed the varied program.


All in all, it was a fabulous experience, alas no bargain one, as the entry ticket at 2,300 Forint (approx. 9,00 EUR) was just that: an entry ticket for 1 day + a tasting glass, and every single sip of wine had to be paid for extra.
More information are available under http://www.aborfesztival.hu/

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