Hungarian Results of the Decanter World Wine Awards 2011

The ONE competition every producer wants to win...

72 Hungarian wines have got a medal on the Decanter World Wine Awards 2011 in London.










Let's see the results in the following order:





Gold medal winners



Béres Vitis Tokajensis Tokaji Aszú 6 Puttonyos 2007
Heumann & Heimann U & I (without vintage)
Sauska Villányi Cuvée 11 2007





Silver medal winners



Béres Tokaji Aszú 5 Puttonyos 2006
Borpalota Fríz Mátrai Hárslevelű 2008
Dobogó Pincészet Tokaji Furmint 2009
Füleky Tokaji Aszú 6 puttonyos 2007
Gróf Degenfeld Szőlőbirtok Tokaji Aszú 6 puttonyos 2006
Heumann Villányi Cabernet Franc 2008
Liszkay Cabernet Franc 2008
Moonvalley Wines Tokaji Signature 2006
Moonvalley Wines Tokaji Zéta Édes Szamorodni 2007
Royal Tokaji Aszú 5 Puttonyos 2007
Royal Tokaji Late Harvest 2009
Sauska-Tokaj Cuvée 113 2009
St. Andrea Örökké Egri fehér 2009
Tokaj Kereskedoház Tokaji Aszú 6 puttonyos Muskotály Premium Selection 2006
Tokaj Kereskedőház Tokaji Késői Arany 2009
Törley Chardonnay Brut 2006
Varga Pincészet "Aranymetszés" Badacsonyi Olaszrizling 2009
Vylyan Gombas Pinot Noir 2008
Vylyan Pinot Noir 2008
Vylyan Villányi Syrah 2008




Bronze medal winners




Campanula Pinot Grigio 2010 (Etyek-Buda)
Campanula Pinot Grigio Sect (Törley)
Campanula Pinot Noir Rosé Sect (Törley)
Chapel Hill Pinot Grigio Brut Sect
Disznókő Pincészet Tokaji Aszú 5 puttonyos 2007
Disznókő Pincészet Tokaji Late Harvest 2009
Eszterbauer Borászat Mesterünk Szekszárdi Cuvée 2008
Eszterbauer Borászat Tivald Szekszárdi Cabernet sauvignon 2008
Francois President Brut 2007
Francois President Rosé Brut 2006
Gere Tamás és Zsolt Aureus 2007
György Villa Villányi Merlot 2007
Hungaria Grande Cuvée Brut Sect
Hungaria Irsai Olivér Doux Sect
Kovács Nimród Borászat Egri Chardonnay Battonage 2008
Kovács Nimród Borászat Egri Furmint 2009
Kovács Nimród Borászat Egri Pinot Noir 2007
Kreinbacher Birtok St. Ilona Somlói Furmint 2009
Liszkay Cabernet Sauvignon 2008
Patricius Tokaji Sárga Muskotály 2009
Royal Tokaji Furmint 2009
Sauska Tokaji Aszú 6 puttonyos 2003
St. Andrea Hangács Egri Bikavér 2008
Tokaj Kereskedoház Furmint 2010
Villa Sandahl Golden Line Badacsonyi Rhine Riesling 2008
Wunderlich Cassiopeia Syrah 2008





Regional Trophy winners




Sweet Hungary over 10 £ - Dobogó Pincészet Tokaji Aszú 6 puttonyos 2006

Red Hungary over 10 £ - Sauska Villányi Cuvée 7 2007

White Hungary under 10 £ - Szent István Korona Etyeki Irsai Olivér 2010

White Hungary over 10 £ -Tokajicum Borház Tokaji Darázskő Furmint 2009




Commended wines




Chapel Hill Collection Sparkling Pinot Noir - Chardonnay (without vintage)
Chateau Teleki-Villány Merlot 2008
Dr Dula Bence Egri Hegybíró Bora Egri Bikavér 2005
Egri Korona Borház Selection Egri Merlot 2008
György-Villa Sauvignon Blanc 2010
György-Villa Syrah 2009
Mezey-Meyer-Dula Pincészet Egri Pinot Noir 2006
Németh Család Bezerédj Cuvée 2008
Patricius Furmint 2009
Törley Fortuna (without vintage)
Törley Gála (without vintage)
Thummerer Vilmos Egri Csillag 2010
Tokajicum Tokaji Aszú 2007
Varga Balatoni Eiswein Olasz Rizling Jégbor 2009
Varga Pincészet Aranymetszés Badacsonyi Olaszrizling Sectio Aurea 2009
Varga Pincészet Aranymetszés Badacsonyi Rózsako 2009
Vesztergombi Turul 2007
Viale Mandorlato Zenit 2010
Villa Sandahl Silver Line Rhine Riesling 2008
Wunderlich Diana 2006

Whom we are proud of!

Among others, they won the title - the TOP 25 Wine of the Pannon Borregio (Wineregion) of 2011!

We are very proud of them! Congratulations!



Takler Winery - Kékfrankos Reserve 2007 - Szekszárd












Mészáros Winery - Bodzási Kékfrankos Selection 2007 - Szekszárd










Tűzkő Winery - Tűzkő Domb Cuvée 2006 - Szekszárd/Tolna







VinArt - Cabernet Sauvignon Premium 2007 - Villány




The complete list of the winners find below: http://www.baranyanet.hu/cikkek/13518

They will come to us in October!

The Heumann family from Villány...





The whole interview and the article you can read in German on the Blog of Baccantus:


http://www.baccantus.de/2011/04/09/neues-aus-ungarn/

Wines and Winemakers from the List of „Wines of the Hungarian Presidency of the Council of the EU”!

Takler

Sauska

Koch

Bodri

St. Gaál

Weninger

St. Andrea

F.Y.I.: Winemaking of Hungary 2. (in English and in Hungarian)

F.Y.I.: Winemaking of Hungary 1. (in English)

News from Budapest - Furmint February 2011

The guiding principle of the Furmint February is: in Ferbruary to drink and taste as much Hungarian Furmint as you can :))) so popularizing the Furmint grape variety!
Have you ever tasted a Furmint? When not, do not miss the chance to get to know them! It is worth it! In our webshop you can find only the bests. (dry and sweet, full with minerality, or with interesting fruitiness, older and new vintages)

... furthermore we have special Furmint tasting box as well!

We are happy if you find your favourite one! :)

What do you think? What did we taste on Friday? :)

O.K., it was a quite a difficult question... so it is not more a secret :)
We had a big Bikavér-tasting at home! 4 different Bikavérs, from 2 different wine regions, from 2 different vintages, with 4 professional wine taster! And we had an odd-one-out wine! :)
Which ones were than???

See the list below....

1. Heimann - Cervaes 2006 (our odd-one-out cuvée this time)
2. Mészáros - Bikavér Reserve 2007
3. Takler - Bikavér Reserve 2007
4. Takler - Bikavér Reserve 2006
5. Gróf Buttler - Egri Bikavér - Nagy-Eged 2006

As you see, we tasted only the bests! :)
And the result?....

Among the bests, everybody has a favourite one! But the 5. wine is a real tresure for everybody!

Happy 2011!

We Wish You A Merry Christmas And A Happy New Year!

Preparing for Christmas

Slowly we should wrap up presents for our friends and our family, and we have to decide what we buy them.

Make it easier! Look around in our webshop and find suitable wines for your loved ones!

Helping you a little bit, we are hereby posting some recommendation:


Andante 2007 - Gróf Degenfeld Winery- from Tokaj - wonderful late harvest sweet Furmint wine. (€ 18,50)





Late harvest Furmint 2007 - so sweet as an Aszú- Chateau Dereszla Winery - from Tokaj ( € 11.90)




Tokaji Dry 2009 - Chateau Dereszla Winery - from Tokaj - a very nice table wine for Christmas ( € 6.50)




Ohmerops Cuvée 2007 - Mészáros Winery - with a real harmony - from Szekszárd
( € 21.90)





Bikavér Reserve 2006 - Takler Winery - from Szekszárd - creamy and very fruity with sour cherry taste ( €14.90)






Cabernet Franc 2007 - Takler Winery - a top Cabernet Franc from Szekszárd ( € 9.90)





Premium Selection - Merlot 2007 and Egri Bikavér 2006 - from the BOlyki Winery from Eger
( € 24.00)
Both are a really good choice!



Have a nice shopping time!

Wine tasting at the Mathematicians

Namely in the TMU - Forschungszentrum - München

Looking back! - Experiences of the Wine Festival in Budapest

.... Rain, rain and rain....

Summing up our Hungarian wine festival in Budapest, that was our deepest experience this year... Unfortunately the weather did not do us any favour ... so we had to walk in the rain (all the day) with umbrellas, bags, notes and glasses.... (I think you can imagine how to do it...) Friday and Saturday were especially heavy rainy days...

so we were very-very wet at the end of the day... but not from wines.... :)

Sunday was a little bit better... with a pritty sunshine... but as we had to start back early to Munich, could not enjoy the festival without rain for a long time ...

But, going back to the point, now I try to talk about more positiv things... WINES and WINERIES! :)

Telling the truth, this year, our favourite wine region was (or is) Szekszárd!

We found smaller wineries with wonderful hand-made wines and their quality is talking about hard work! Our favourite new wineries are: Mészáros Pál and Bősze Adriann from Szekszárd!We would like to take their wines in our programm and show customers and people in Munich, wow... we have something new and nice!

And of course, many thanks to our partners who were there - Heimann, Bodri, Sebestyén, Takler, Eszterbauer - for the good winetastings!

Our next favourite or our best of this year, was Tokaj! Sweet (e.g. Aszús) and late harvest wines especially from the Béres and the Ch. Dereszla Winery! Superb Furmints from the Tokaji Bormívelők Társasága! So I am sure that, at Christmas, these wines can not miss from our tables! They are so good!!

Unfortunately 2 and half a day was not enough to spend time everywhere, but we tried it! :)

Pictures... I have not so many because of the unpleasant rain...

But finally, I could record the most important impression or feeling of the participants and the exhibitors of the festival:

:))))) No comment!

Have a nice day!

Huge Hungarian Cabernet Franc tasting last Friday :))

Thanks to the kind invitation of our Hungarian Wine-lover friend, Ossi, we participated in a huge Cabernet franc tasting last Friday, next to Munich.

19 different Franc.... superb group of guests... good talks and wonderful szegedi gulasch (székely káposzta)... everything at our friend, Ossi!

The slideshow is talking about our impressions :))))

Many thanks to you, Ossi and Sabine, for the kind hospitality!

Only 6 days left....

The major participants of the Hungarian winemaking scene present samples of their best items soon in Budapest. (8-12 of September) Beside local products, several bottles will be introduced at the Festival from outside of the country (from the whole Carpathian Basin).

But it is not all. ... we will have music and party everywhere in the Castle to encrease our good mood. See you there soon! :)

....

‘We can’t wait to storm the Buda Castle again this September, to occupy it for five days and take hold of all we can find at the 19th Buda Castle Wine Festival. And there are things worth seizing… All you can wish for and all that our national culture represents: tradition, music, dance, poetry and, of course, wine. Wine, faithful companion of the Hungarian people both in good times and bad for many long centuries.’ (Gyula Szarka, Ghymes)

Our Study Tour in Szekszárd and Villány

Szekszárd and Villány are the southest wine regions of Hungary. The soil and the climate, for instant, favour red varieties in both regions. Wines from these regions are very popular not only in Hungary, but among in European customers as well. However, at the moment, Villány maybe more world-known than Szekszárd, we are convinced that Szekszárd is on the right way to join up to the world famous position and probably we will hear a lot about Szekszarder wines in the next years.

In the microclimate of Szekszárd the Mediterranean influence remains strong favouring so the special and declared autochthonous Hungarian grape variety, the Kadarka. Kadarka was largely responsible for the worldwide fame of Szekszárd wines in the 19th century. "Such wines were enthusiastically endorsed by the great musicians Franz Schubert and Ferenc Liszt, whose popularity in 19th-century-Europe was equivalent to that of modern pop stars." So we try not to forget this interesting variety and popularise among our customers and friends. Hey, I have something special for you. Come and drink something new. ;)

But going back to the point, this time, for instant, we were interested in finding great Szekszarder Kadarkas, but we have also found great cuvée-s, white Kadarka, Blauburger and Kékfrankos of the region. (so when we go on study tour we are ready to discover always everything what we can.... :))

Looking at our photos it is not more a secret that we were shortly in Villány as well, and we visited our new-found winery, Heumann.
For the first time, we met the Heumann family at the Prowein (international wine fair) in Düsseldorf, and already that time it was decided that we would like to keep in touch with them and their wines.


The Heumann family - as a german man and a swiss wife - arrived to Villány in 1995 with a great intention to make wines as hobby vintners but as the time was going on and their international results are coming, we can see that the hobby winemaking time turned into a very serious and high quality wine producing process, and however they are not so well known and famous in Hungary yet, the group of their esthusiats are wider and wider on the swiss and the international market. And it is no accident.


Their quality improvements are documented through local and national silver and gold medals as well as with very good scores in well known wine magazines like Decanter, Vinum and others, so we really have to pay attention on their work!


At the moment, four different Heumann wines are available in our webshop, such as Azzurone 2007, Kékfrankos 2007, Cabernet Franc 2007 and the U and I 2008 (which is a very interesting coproduction of the Heumann und the Szekszardian Heimann Family). So in case of interest, you can find not only Kadarkas but Heumann wines as well in our catalogue. :) It is worth tasting!

Home-made Cabernet Franc tasting!

First of all, what do we know about Cabernet Franc? what kind of grape variety is it ? What kind of wine do we taste when we open a bottle of them?

If you can not answer these questions suddenly by heart, it is also not a problem, because here we try to answer all the basic questions of this variety!
:) Starting with a short summary on Franc.

... It is said Cabernet Franc is one of the major red grape varieties worldwide. /so Cabernet Franc is one of the twenty most widely planted grape varieties./
It is principally grown for blending with Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot in the Bordeaux wine style, called Bordeaux cuvées, but can also be vinified alone. (for example, this time we tasted only 100% Cabernet Franc and 2 bottles only from selected grapes and vinyards!)

Cabernet Franc is basicly less pungently aromatic and lighter than the Sauvignon making a bright pale red wine and contributing finesse and a peppery perfume to blends with more robust grapes. In good locations and years it can attain superior depth of flavour (aged for 15 or than 10 years).
And depending on growing region and style of wine, additional aromas can include tobacco, raspberry, and cassis, sometimes even violets or sloe.

It has also slightly less tannin than Sauvignon and tends to produce a wine with a smoother mouthfeel….

So they can be the main information what are suggested to have as a preknowledge about the grape before I start to explain about our homemade blind wine tasting, so let's have a look now what happened at us some days ago....

Telling the truth, I like Franc-s, and I wanted to explore our sortiment and test our tasting abilities how we can make differences between franc-s from different Hungarian wine regions. Well, with this idea, I arranged 4 glasses with 4 different wines for my partner specialist (only I knew which wines we have in which glass :))), and I gave him the task to find out which wines they can be in the glasses, from which regions, from which vintages and from which winemakers.
:))))

You can think now: UHHH...quite a difficult task! and I have to agree with you, because for a specialist is a very hard and comlex work as well to definite wines without any main points...
But I have to declare that our blind taster specialist was not bad, moreover really good in guess!

And what about the results?
Well, I could collect some very interesting conclusions:

1. Even if you know a lot about Cabernet franc, quite difficult to find out in a blind way from 4 different wines that all, what you taste, are franc-s!


2. our Franc-a were totally different from each other, depending on determinants such as wine region, winemaker, vintage and style!

3. very interesting to recognise and describe wines without any preknowledge and prejudice! :)


4. not every wine can be drinkable suddenly (sometimes 1 day later much better their taste!)

so when we drink a good Cabernet Franc, we should give time to the wine! then it can be so thanksful to us!

5. Our opinion is that alone vinified Franc-s can be also so wonderful, so it is great that not only for blends are grown!

6. some cabernet franc can be very funny and can make jokes with us! :)

As it is a very colourful wine and grape variety suggested to taste every time when you have possibility to get in touch with some examples. :))


For us made fun to taste them and somewhen we would like to continue our franc queue with other bottles. :)
But I think, next time, I have to be on the another side.... :))


And finally the wines of our home-made tasting:

1. Bolyki: Cabernet Franc 2006
2. Csányi: Cabernet Franc 2006
3. Takler: Cabernet Franc 2007
4. Tiffán: Cabernet Franc 2007